Pakistan clarifies its approach to US sanctions on Iran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has drawn a clear red line with Afghanistan, warning that its desire for friendly relations cannot continue alongside cross-border infiltration and terrorist attacks allegedly originating from Afghan soil. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated this while addressing a weekly media briefing here on Thursday. He also claimed that more than 36 small and large terrorist organisations were present in Afghanistan and were finding ways to create trouble and perpetrate terrorism in Pakistan. “We urge Kabul to take decisive action against militant organisations, ” he added. READ ALSO: Pakistan says 22 terrorists killed in airstrikes on Afghan hideouts He clarified Pakistan’s position regarding sanctions on Iran, and said that Pakistan was a responsible member of the international community and would continue to adhere to all applicable sanctions regimes in accordance with international and domestic laws. “Pakistan highly values its enduring and multifaceted strategic partnership with the United States and remains fully committed to further strengthening its long-standing diplomatic, economic and security ties with Washington, ” he said. The spokesperson said Pakistan also emphasised its adherence to international practices and established frameworks while maintaining communication with all relevant stakeholders. On Pakistan’s mediation between the United States and Iran, the spokesperson said Islamabad continued to believe that dialogue and diplomacy offered the only viable pathway to resolving the dispute peacefully. He said Pakistan had played a mediatory role and had helped bring about the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. The spokesperson said Pakistan understood that the seven conditions being referred to in the media were among those already agreed by the two sides under the Islamabad MoU. He said Pakistan is keen to develop friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan, but stressed that meaningful engagement could only be built on the basis of trust, mutual understanding and respect for each other’s sovereignty. Replying to allegations concerning Pakistan’s actions in Afghanistan’s Nuristan Province, the spokesperson categorically rejected what he described as “unfounded allegations”. Responding to questions about Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan following recent military strikes and the possibility of a diplomatic solution, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Islamabad had repeatedly demonstrated its readiness for engagement. He said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar had visited Afghanistan three times during the past two years and had offered several initiatives and facilitation measures and tariff reductions for traders and businessmen, and scholarships for Afghan students. The expectation, he said, had been that Pakistan was ready to normalize relations with Afghanistan while its concerns regarding terrorism emanating from Afghan territory would also be addressed. “That’s now a red line, ” the spokesperson said, pointing to what he described as a significant increase in terrorist activity over the past two weeks. According to the spokesperson, terrorist activity had not remained confined to Pakistan’s border areas but had extended into deeper parts of the country, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. “Terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan were being sponsored, abetted and facilitated, and this activity has to stop, ” he added. Asked about the latest contact between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the spokesperson said the two sides remained in touch through different channels. The spokesperson, however, reiterated Pakistan’s broader position regarding the presence of militant organizations in Afghanistan. He said it was a well-documented fact, according to Pakistan, that Afghanistan under the Taliban regime remained a haven for terrorists. The spokesperson, however, maintained that Pakistan is not closing the “door to diplomacy”. He clarified that engagement with Kabul could not be separated from Pakistan’s security concerns. The spokesperson said the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan had become the central obstacle to the normalization of bilateral relations. Pakistan, he said, expected the Afghan authorities to prevent their territory from being used for activities against Pakistan. The FO spokesperson emphasized Pakistan’s continued preference for diplomatic engagement alongside its demand for an end to militant infiltration and attacks. The spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan and the United States had remained in contact during recent weeks but declined to provide further details. The spokesperson said the Pakistanis had been held captive since April 11 by Somali pirates and that the operation had been launched primarily to retrieve and release hijacked personnel belonging to different countries. During the operation to recover the vessel, three Pakistanis and two other nationals lost their lives. The bodies of the deceased Pakistanis were also in the custody of Pakistani officials there. The Foreign Office also highlighted the participation of National Coordinators from all SCO member states, including India, in meetings held in Islamabad. The spokesperson noted that the visit of a senior Indian official to Pakistan had taken place after a gap of more than two years. He said the Indian representative had expressed interest in visiting other Pakistani cities, including Sialkot, Faisalabad and Lahore. The spokesperson said the visit reflected common regional interests in peace, development, connectivity, trade and transit. Separately, Pakistan strongly condemned what it described as arbitrary action and attempts to demolish portions of the historic Shahi Masjid in Madhya Pradesh. The Foreign Office also condemned the use of force against members of the Muslim community who were peacefully protesting the attempted demolition. The spokesperson also rejected India’s characterization of the recent Court of Arbitration award concerning the Indus Waters Treaty. The spokesperson said the Court of Arbitration had been constituted under the Indus Waters Treaty at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The spokesperson said Pakistan and other SCO member states were in contact regarding participation in a hockey tournament being organized under the SCO’s sports diplomacy platform. On a reported shipment of nuclear energy material, he said Pakistan’s policy was to promote the use of its airspace by friendly countries. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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