Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Friday stressed that countries should refrain from commenting on Pakistan’s internal affairs, asserting that Islamabad can handle its internal affairs independently.
“The banning of political parties is an internal matter of Pakistan,” Mumtaz said during a press briefing.
Reacting to the recent attack on Bannu Cantt by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Mumtaz revealed that Pakistan has expressed its serious concerns to the Afghan Interim Government.
The FO spokesman expressed concern over the use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan and urged the Afghan government to take immediate and effective action against Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s group.
She said Pakistan shares intelligence with Afghanistan regarding terrorist groups and maintains continuous communication with Afghan authorities.
On immigration, Mumtaz clarified that Pakistan’s immigration laws are strict, with daily deportations of illegal Afghan residents. “There are currently 44,000 Afghan citizens awaiting resettlement,” she added.
While the spokeswoman was unaware of Malala Yousafzai’s recent statements on the issue, she expressed hope that Yousafzai would advocate for the swift relocation of these refugees.
The FO condemned the attack on a Shia mosque in Muscat on Muharram 9, calling it a barbaric act of terrorism.
Pakistan expressed solidarity with the victims and emphasized the importance of collective action against terrorism.
In addition, Pakistan condemned Israeli attacks on Palestinian refugee camps, particularly the attack on Khan Younis camp that resulted in the death of 19 Palestinians, which it described as a violation of UN regulations.
Islamabad also condemned the arrest of Muharram processionists in Srinagar and called for the immediate release of the detained mourners, reaffirming its political and moral support to the people of India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
