Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that the United Nations has asked Pakistan to review its decision to close the Afghan border.
Addressing a press briefing in Islamabad, Dar said the Foreign Office received a request from the UN a day earlier. The foreign minister said the request sought a reconsideration of the closure and that Pakistan may allow essential food items for Afghan civilians after consultations with the national leadership. He expressed hope that approval for the humanitarian passage may come tomorrow.
Dar said that he will discuss the matter with the military leadership and the prime minister before Islamabad issues a formal response.
He said he completed three visits to Afghanistan and conveyed that neighbours cannot change their geography.
He said Pakistan informed the Afghan authorities that failure to address the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan issue may create problems for them as well. He said Pakistan expects only one commitment from the Afghan interim government: that Afghan soil must not serve terrorism.
The deputy prime minister said Pakistan has the strength to eliminate terrorists and that security forces would target them inside their hideouts. He said the border closure did not occur voluntarily and that more than four million Afghans remained inside Pakistan for years.
He said the Qatari government sought a pause in the clean-up operation and that Iran’s Foreign Minister proposed that Russia, Iran, Qatar, Türkiye, Pakistan and Afghanistan hold joint consultations.
Dar said Pakistan informed European Union officials that Islamabad desires peace in Afghanistan. He said he stood beside Amir Khan Muttaqi and informed the Afghan and Pakistani public of all decisions.
He said Pakistan and Uzbekistan sought to link both countries through Afghanistan and signed an agreement on rail connectivity in the presence of all three states.
Dar maintained Pakistan visited the relevant capitals and held meetings, yet no improvement appeared from the Afghan side, which he termed an unhelpful approach.
He added that his visit to Moscow remained successful and that meetings with President Vladimir Putin and others drew a warm and positive response from Russia.
Dar said discussions with the European Union were open and constructive. He added that the time may not be far when Muslim and non-Muslim countries stand together to end terrorism.
He said Pakistan will move one step forward in cooperation and that the Muslim Ummah must unite.
