WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (AFP): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said that the Tehreeke-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a “red line” for the country and strict action is being taken against the outlawed group.
The minister made the remarks while talking to the media at the Pakistani embassy in Washington, US, and maintained that if the TTP is provided help or facility from Afghanistan, it will be “bad for Pakistan-Afghanistan relations”.
He furthered that there is a need to create a consensus on the issue of Afghanistan because no nation wants that country to become a centre of terrorism in the world.
Bilawal added that there is still room for talks with the Afghan Taliban and said that Islamabad expects Kabul to show the intention and ability to act against terrorist groups because terrorism is not only a problem in Pakistan.
“Afghanistan is our neighbour, [and] we have to engage with them whether we want to or not,” he said, adding that Pakistan must talk to Afghanistan but clarified that “having talks does not mean that we endorse their policy”.
While citing a United Nations report, he said, 90 per cent of people in the war-torn country are below the poverty line, which will not only increase Afghanistan’s problems but also Pakistan’s.
