Islamabad (Pakistan News): Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan has said that Pakistan has always advocated peace, but the country is fully prepared to protect its borders and has the capability to defend itself.
During a news briefing in Islamabad, the Foreign Office spokesperson said terrorism was coming into Pakistan from Afghanistan and remained the country’s biggest challenge. He stated that 1,360 Pakistanis had lost their lives in terrorist incidents over the past year.
Sajjad Haider Khan said all disputes and wars could be resolved through diplomacy and that Pakistan had never felt embarrassed about maintaining diplomatic contacts with Afghanistan.
He added that China, Uzbekistan and other countries also had concerns about the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan.
Commenting on the Makkah Defence Agreement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said each country had its own procedure for extending the agreement. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had completed their respective procedures, while Türkiye was moving the extension process forward through its parliament. He said Pakistan endorsed the draft of the Makkah Defence Agreement that had been made public.
Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan was an important member of the international community and was participating in negotiations with the United States.
He further stated that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had also contacted the foreign ministers of Egypt and Iran. Ishaq Dar has arrived in Türkiye to attend the R4 meeting, after which the R4 Plus E3 meeting will also take place. According to the spokesperson, this will be the first meeting held under this format.