Islamabad: Voicing "deep concern" over the activities of Indian spy agency RAW and its "nexus" with Afghan intelligence, Pakistan on Friday claimed "some foreign elements" were using the Afghan soil to foment trouble in the country.
"We wish to reemphasise that some foreign elements are exploiting the situation and using Afghan soil against Pakistan, in particular, and the region, at large. The activities of Indian RAW and Afghanistan’s NDS (National Directorate of Security) nexus remain a matter of deep concern to Pakistan," Foreign Office (FO) spokesman said in a statement.
The spokesman also "out rightly rejected the claims" that Pakistan was providing safe havens to terrorists in its tribal region FATA, close to the Afghan border, and reiterated that Pakistan does not allow its territory to be used for attacks against any other country.
He alleged that Afghanistan was infested with many terrorist organisations due to the instability, which has created space for the terrorist elements such as Haqqani Network's leadership, Taliban, Daesh, Al-Qaeda, Jamaat-ul-Ahraar and others.
"It is, therefore, not appropriate to blame others for the adversities due to the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. The oft-repeated claims regarding safe havens are, therefore, more of rhetoric than anything else," he said.
The spokesperson claimed Pakistan's contribution to the international community's fight against terrorism and the sacrifices had been acknowledged by the world, including the US, EU and others.
"Pakistan has lost thousands of its citizens and economic losses of over USD 100 billion due to the menace of terrorism," he said.
The spokesman further said that Pakistan remains committed to peace efforts in Afghanistan while lamenting that Islamabad's "sincere efforts" towards stability in Afghanistan were being maligned.
"Pakistan will continue its policy of cooperation with international community to defeat the menace of terrorism. We will not indulge in blame game and expect others to do the same," he added.
