Islamabad, Oct 12 (NationPress) - Pakistan has summoned the Afghan ambassador to voice its serious concerns regarding the joint statement made by India and Afghanistan on October 10 in New Delhi.

This diplomatic action coincides with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's ongoing six-day trip to India, which commenced earlier on Thursday.

In a formal declaration, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) stated that the Additional Foreign Secretary for West Asia & Afghanistan expressed Islamabad's significant apprehensions to the Afghan envoy, particularly about the mentions of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement between New Delhi and Kabul.

“It was articulated that the assertion of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India contravenes the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the FO affirmed, reiterating Pakistan's enduring position on the disputed territory.

The joint statement indicated that Afghanistan had strongly condemned the terrorist incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which took place in April. It also expressed solidarity with the Indian populace and government. Moreover, both India and Afghanistan “unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism originating from regional countries” and highlighted the necessity of nurturing peace, mutual trust, and regional stability.

Pakistan further objected to Foreign Minister Muttaqi’s recent remarks during his visit, where he characterized terrorism as an “internal issue” of Pakistan. The FO rejected this claim, stressing that the “transfer of responsibility for managing terrorism onto Pakistan cannot excuse the Afghan Interim Government from its duties to ensure regional peace and stability.”

Emphasizing its humanitarian efforts, Pakistan reminded that it has been hosting nearly four million Afghan refugees for over four decades. The FO noted that with relative peace returning to Afghanistan, it is anticipated that unauthorized Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan should now return home.

“Like all other nations, Pakistan possesses the right to regulate the presence of foreign nationals within its borders,” the statement declared. It further mentioned that Islamabad continues to provide medical and student visas to Afghan citizens “in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and good neighborly relations.”

The FO concluded by reiterating Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan, expressing a desire to see a peaceful, stable, regionally connected, and prosperous Afghanistan, and pledged to support initiatives that bolster trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity between the two nations.