The BRICS TimesAfghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a six-day official trip to India.
Strong Objection Over Joint Declaration
Pakistan on Saturday summoned the Afghan ambassador to express its “serious objections” regarding the India-Afghanistan joint statement issued in New Delhi a day before.
Muttaqi’s Visit to India
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who reached New Delhi on Thursday, is currently in India for a six-day visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties.
Pakistan’s Reaction to Kashmir Mention
In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said the Additional Foreign Secretary for West Asia and Afghanistan conveyed Pakistan’s “strong reservations” to the Afghan envoy over the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement.
“It was conveyed that referring to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India clearly violates the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the FO stated.
Afghanistan’s Stand Against Terrorism
As per the joint statement, Afghanistan strongly denounced the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and extended condolences and solidarity with India’s people and government.
Both countries jointly condemned terrorism originating from the region and underlined the importance of fostering peace, mutual trust, and stability.
Rejection of Pakistan Terror Claim
Islamabad also dismissed Muttaqi’s remarks that terrorism was Pakistan’s internal matter.
The FO emphasised that shifting blame on Pakistan could not free the Afghan interim administration from its duty to promote peace and ensure regional stability.
Pakistan Highlights Support to Afghans
Highlighting Pakistan’s decades-long hospitality, the FO said the country had hosted nearly four million Afghans over 40 years.
Now, with stability returning to Afghanistan, Pakistan reiterated that Afghan nationals staying without authorisation should return home.
“Like other countries, Pakistan reserves the right to regulate foreign nationals within its borders,” the FO noted, adding that Islamabad continues to issue medical and education visas to Afghan citizens “in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and good neighbourly ties.”
Call for Peace and Cooperation
The FO reaffirmed that Pakistan seeks a peaceful, stable, and connected Afghanistan. It said Pakistan continues to extend trade, economic, and connectivity support to enhance socio-economic cooperation.
However, it stressed that Pakistan must ensure the safety of its people and expects the Afghan government to take “concrete steps” to prevent its soil from being used by terrorist groups against Pakistan.
