ISLAMABAD- Pakistan on Thursday expressed concern over the growinginfluence of Da’esh (the Islamic State) in Afghanistan and itsconcentration on the borders with the Afghan neighbours.
Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said, “We have been consistentlyraising serious concerns about the rising footprint of Da’esh inAfghanistan. Concentration of Da’esh along the borders with Pakistan,Central Asian Republics, Iran and China further alarms us of its negativeimplications for Afghanistan, Pakistan and regional security,” he said.
Faisal said Pakistan always supported an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peaceprocess in Afghanistan and reiterated that only political reconciliationcan bring lasting peace in the war-torn country.
He said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accepted an invitationfrom Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to visit Afghanistan at a convenienttime.
To a question about Pakistan firing across the border with Afghanistan, hesaid that “our border troops only open fire when they are fired upon (byterrorists) and the response is always directed at the point of origin andis proportionate”.