Ashrafi stresses Afghan cooperation in effort to restore order

Islamabad: Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and the Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Sunday said Pakistan not only prioritizes peace in Afghanistan but also places equal importance on maintaining peace within its own borders.

He, in an exclusive talk with the state agency Associated Press of Pakistan, highlighted the objective behind the removal of illegal Afghans to restore order to the homeland, expecting that registered Afghan refugees and the Afghan government would collaborate with the Pakistani government in this effort.

Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council mentioned that in a meeting with the Army Chief, the religious scholars of all schools of thought emphasized the importance of complete cooperation on matters concerning Pakistan. They explicitly declared any armed struggle by groups other than state institutions as forbidden, reassuring the state of their unwavering support, he added.

He said Pakistan was actively engaging with friendly nations, including Saudi Arabia, to effectively manage the situation in Gaza adding that Pakistan had not only doubled its aid to Palestine but was also open to considering additional increases to provide further support. Ashrafi emphatically refuted the propaganda, clarifying that there was not placement of security glass between both the Army Chief and the scholars. He emphasized that such misleading information serves as an adversary to Pakistan, aiming to sow chaos within the nation.

He made it clear that the Army Chief not only briefed all the scholars on the current state of affairs but also personally visited each of them to inquire about their well-being. In recognition of the positive strides in the country’s economy and decisive actions against wrongdoers, the scholars commended the Army Chief and unequivocally expressed their full support for the ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ doctrine, he added. Ashrafi urged the Interior Ministry and Federal Investigation Agency officials to take decisive action against those who undermine state institutions and tarnish Pakistan’s credibility on social media. Addressing the issue of Afghan refugees, he highlighted that a significant number of Afghan nationals were implicated in recent acts of terrorism in Pakistan.

When questioned about this to the Afghan government, the response was that Pakistan should address the issue domestically, he maintained. In response, he said the government was taking steps to address the situation by deporting unregistered and illegal Afghan nationals from Pakistan. However, the hospitality extended to registered Afghan refugees would persist, as it had in the past, he clarified. He emphasized that no country could permit citizens of another nation to stay illegally, asserting the right to expel unregistered and illegal foreigners from Pakistan.

Responding to an inquiry, Ashrafi affirmed that Pakistan maintained active communication with the Afghan government adding that currently, a delegation from Afghanistan was engaging in discussions with Pakistani officials. Discussing the situation in Gaza, Ashrafi stated that the government’s stance aligned with the principles set by Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He reiterated Pakistan’s non-recognition of Israel and vehemently condemned the Israeli aggression in Palestine. Both the Pakistani Prime Minister and Army Chief were closely monitoring developments in Gaza, he maintained.