Policy on Terrorism, Foreign Occupation Remains Unchanged: FO

Islamabad: Foreign Office has said that Pakistan’s policy on terrorism and foreign occupation remains unchanged. In response to questions from media regarding Pakistan’s position on terrorism and foreign occupation, Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said we regret that certain media circles through a quaint spin have tried to distort and misrepresent Pakistan’s position on the subject and this also misinterprets OIC and international consensus on counter-terrorism and foreign occupation.

According to Radio Pakistan, during the UN Security Council briefing on “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts,” the Permanent Representative of Pakistan also stressed addressing the root causes of terrorism that include poverty, foreign occupation, and denial of the right to self-determination to peoples under colonial and foreign domination such as in the occupied territories of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.

The Spokesperson said Pakistan and the OIC have long emphasized the need for a comprehensive counter-terrorism approach that addresses the root causes of terrorism, including conflict resolution, the end of foreign occupation, and efforts to eradicate poverty while promoting sustainable economic growth and development.

He further stated that alongside the OIC, Pakistan has consistently maintained that any definition of terrorism must clearly distinguish between acts of terrorism and the legitimate struggles of peoples under foreign or colonial occupation for self-determination and national liberation.