2010-08-24 16:40

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tuesday rejected remarks from Afghan national security advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta that Islamabad is harboring militants like Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Spanta stated in an article published in The Washington Post that global community is committing a blunder by embracing Pakistan as a strategic partner despite the fact that terrorism emanating from the region is affecting India, Britain and others.

"Dr. Spanta's views are not in consonance with excellent Pakistan-Afghanistan counterterrorism cooperation," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said that Spanta's article contained nothing new but a rehash of hackneyed and baseless allegations against Pakistan and its security agencies.  

"These were his personal views and were not in consonance with the excellent mutual understanding and cooperation that existed between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the ongoing fight against terrorism," he said.  

He said both countries recognized how imperative it was to defeat the pernicious evil of terrorism for achieving stability and prosperity in our region.  

The spokesman added that Pakistan will not be distracted by such unfair remarks, and will continue working with Afghanistan and the international community to eliminate militancy and terrorism.