Pakistan has rejected the allegation of Deputy Special Representative of the United Nation's Assistant Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) about the presence of Taliban in Pakistan. Foreign Office Spokesperson Ms Tasneem Aslam, taking serious note of the statement of Special Representative of UNAMA, said that Pakistan's decision to selectively fence or mine the border is motivated by the need to control the two-way cross-border movement of undesirable elements. She said those who criticize Pakistan's decision should offer viable alternatives on controlling such activity. She said the allegation that some of the 142 Taliban on the list of UN Sanctions Committee may be in Pakistan is an unsubstantiated assertion that demonstrates ignorance of ground realities in Afghanistan and insensitivity to Pakistan's efforts to counter militancy and terrorism. The actions taken by Pakistan have led to the arrest of several leading Taliban figures, the spokesperson added. Ms Aslam said one may ask how many Taliban on the list have been apprehended by the Afghan and multinational forces especially when the statement implies their presence inside Afghanistan. She said Pakistan is not solely responsible for taking action against militants and terrorists and to capture undesirable elements and prevent them from entering into Pakistan is the responsibility of the forces operating on the Afghan side. The spokesperson said unfounded statements such as that attributed to the UNAMA official will not help cooperation that is needed to address the common challenges in the area to counter extremist and terrorist elements. The UNAMA officials would be well advised to restrict themselves to their mandate and refrain from questioning the intentions and sincerity of Pakistan, which has done more than any other country in the international efforts against terrorism, she added.
