Pakistan rejects Amnesty report, urges scrutiny of Afghan Taliban over militant support

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected Amnesty International’s call for an investigation into Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul four months ago and urged the rights group, along with the wider international community, to focus instead on what it described as the Afghan Taliban regime’s continued patronage of militant organisations.

At his weekly briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed the report issued by the London-based human rights organisation, saying it was regrettable that serious allegations had been made without what he described as credible evidence. The response came a day after Amnesty International sought an inquiry into the reported strikes.

Andrabi said the Taliban administration continued to provide a permissive environment for several militant groups, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army and other affiliates. He said Pakistan could not remain inactive while civilians and security personnel were repeatedly targeted, according to Radio Pakistan.

The spokesperson said any military action undertaken by Pakistan was carried out under its right to self-defence, based on the principles of necessity and only as a last resort. He said such strikes were aimed solely at terrorists and their logistical support bases inside Afghanistan.

Red Sea warning

In response to another question, Andrabi said Pakistan had reiterated that any hostile action against Pakistani-flagged ships or Pakistan’s maritime interests in the Red Sea would be treated as a serious threat to national security.

He also condemned what he called the continuing threat posed by the Houthis to Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, saying it endangered regional security, freedom of navigation and international trade. Referring specifically to Pakistani shipping, Andrabi said:

Any attack against Pakistani-flagged vessels or against its commercial vessels will be treated as an attack against Pakistan and will be swiftly retaliated. We will do so in our exercise of self-defence.

Commenting more broadly on the situation in the Middle East and Gulf region, the spokesperson said Pakistan had again called on all sides to show restraint. He added that Islamabad was continuing diplomatic outreach in support of dialogue and diplomacy.

Andrabi also said Pakistan remained committed to implementing all bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia, including understandings related to mutual defence.

EU GSP Plus assessment

On the European Union’s fifth GSP report, the Foreign Office spokesperson said it was the final monitoring report under the current GSP Plus arrangement evaluating Pakistan’s compliance with 27 international conventions.

He welcomed the report’s recognition of Pakistan’s legislative progress during the reporting period and its continued adherence to those conventions. Andrabi said the GSP Plus framework remained an important part of Pakistan’s economic relationship with the European Union, supporting exports, employment, women’s economic participation, poverty reduction and wider economic development.

He added that Pakistan remained committed to effectively implementing the international conventions that underpin the GSP framework.

The Foreign Office briefing came as Pakistan faces what it describes as a renewed wave of terrorism, which it says is sponsored and sheltered by India through the use of Afghan soil.