ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday described its recent border clashes with Afghanistan as a bilateral issue and applauded Saudi Arabia’s stance during the conflict, which it said called for stability and de-escalation in the region.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent years, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of sheltering fighters from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), allowing them to stage cross-border attacks from Afghan soil. Kabul denies the allegations, saying it does not permit its territory to be used against other countries.
Sporadic clashes between the two countries began last Saturday night, killing dozens of people on both sides before the two reached a 48-hour truce on Wednesday that ended Friday afternoon.
“Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are longtime close allies and partners who are committed to each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said during his weekly media briefing. “In this context, we are fully confident of each other’s position.”
“The recently concluded SMDA [Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement] is a manifestation of this mutual understanding,” he continued. “We also appreciate the Kingdom’s traditional diplomatic approach, which emphasizes stability and de-escalation in the region.”
