Afghanistan's interim govt must take 'solid practical steps' against TTP: FM Jilani

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said Thursday that Pakistan would like the Afghan interim government to take serious and “solid practical steps” against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The presence of numerous terrorist groups, including TTP and ISIS-K, is a major concern for not only Pakistan but for other countries in the region, Jilani told TRT World on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The minister said Pakistan hopes for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, adding that Islamabad is in dialogue with Kabul, urging them to fulfill their commitments.

Pakistan has frequently encouraged the Afghan Taliban leadership to act against the TTP, a proscribed organisation that poses a threat to Pakistan through cross-border terrorism.

Meanwhile, Jilani said the future of Pakistan’s business climate is highly promising, as representatives of the GCC and other nations will be visiting this month to sign MOUs for investment.

According to the minister, Pakistan has taken new steps and established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to draw in foreign capital, and the GCC nations have expressed a great deal of interest in making investments in Pakistan through the SIFC.

He asserted that Saudi Arabia and the GCC nations are Pakistan’s closest allies. “In many areas, including economics and defense, we work closely with the GCC nations,” he said.

The foreign minister expressed optimism that the government’s reforms in various areas will also provide a promising future for Pakistan’s citizens, adding that this prospect will lead to political and economic stability.

Regarding the country’s internal political situation, he stated that Pakistan is going through a normal democratic process and that a caretaker government is in place at the moment as required by the constitution.

He stated that China is a great partner of Pakistan. “Our ties to Beijing are quite solid,” he said.

He claimed that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the initiative’s flagship project. He said that CPEC was essential to Pakistan’s prosperity.

Regarding UN Security Council changes, the Foreign Minister stated that Pakistan’s viewpoint on the matter has remained quite consistent, which is that there should be an accepted criteria for membership extension.

He stated that a democratic procedure should be followed and that we cannot afford for another powerful member to join the UN Security Council.

According to him, India has broken most UN Security Council resolutions, including the one regarding Jammu and Kashmir, a pressing topic on the UN’s agenda for years.

“We want these UN Security Council resolutions, which call for the holding of a free and fair plebiscite to ascertain the preferences of the Kashmiri people, to be put into effect,” he said.

He said Kashmir for the last several years has been turned into a prison and that severe human rights violations occur regularly. We hope that the world community will pay attention to it.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he asserted that there is no alternative to diplomatic talks and that war is not an option.