ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday warned Afghanistan against becoming facilitator of India’s anti-Pakistan conspiracies.

At a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria asked Afghanistan not to allow India to use its soil against Pakistan.

However, he said India’s arms supply to Afghanistan should not be a point of concern for Pakistan.

India is set to deliver more arms to Afghanistan to help it fight militants. India has provided a little over $2 billion in economic assistance to Afghanistan in the last 15 years, but has been more measured in providing weapons in order to avoid a backlash from Pakistan, which sees Afghanistan as its area of influence.

Last December, after years of dragging its feet, New Delhi announced the supply of four attack helicopters in India’s first transfer of lethal equipment to the government in Kabul since the Taliban movement was toppled.

Kabul immediately deployed three of the Russian Mi-25 attack helicopters to go after insurgents, and the fourth will be inducted in the near future.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been uneasy as the two clashed over a border gate erected by Pakistan. Recently, Afghan leaders backed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s verbal spat against Pakistan.

Zakaria said Pakistan wanted good neighbourly ties with Afghanistan and expected Kabul to check India’s illegal activities on its soil. He said Pakistan had been emphasising that politically negotiated settlement was only viable solution of Afghan problem. He said the Afghan government should give an unambiguous message in favour of reconciliation and offer incentives for the purpose.

The spokesman said the international community should play its role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and ending Indian brutalities against people in held Kashmir.

He said over 80 Kashmiris had been killed, 7,000 injured and 500 deprived of their eye-sight due to pellet gun fire by the Indian forces.

Zakaria said Pakistan had been sensitising the international community about plight of people in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan would also continue its moral, diplomatic and political support for peaceful struggle and right to self-determination for Kashmiris.

The spokesman said in view of delicate situation in occupied Kashmir, Pakistan had already extended an invitation to India for dialogue. He said Kashmir remained the top issue on negotiating table of Pakistan.

The spokesperson said Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner and through result-oriented and sustained dialogue, which is not fragile enough to break down after some incident.

To a question, he said Pakistan and India discussed Kashmir issue bilaterally several times during the last six decades but the dialogue did not meet success due to Indian intransigence.

He said Simla agreement did not prevent taking the issue to the UN as under the accord the two countries upheld supremacy of the UN charter in the conduct of their relations.

Zakaria said relevant UN resolutions on Kashmir were still outstanding on the Security Council agenda.

The spokesman said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Balochistan in his bid to divert attention from gruesome situation in Kashmir. 

However, the world is not naive and understands Indian machinations, he added.

The spokesman said large-scale reaction against Modi’s remarks in Pakistan especially in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan also exposed Indian designs.

The spokesman said preparations are on for hosting of 19th SAARC summit in Pakistan in November this year. He expressed the confidence that the summit would focus on relevant issues and give better results as per expectations of people of the region. To a question, Zakaria said efforts were on to muster up support for Pakistan’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. He said Pakistan met the criteria required for membership of the Group.

Meanwhile, Pakistan strongly condemned the terrorist attack at the American University in Kabul yesterday in which many precious human lives were lost while a number of people were injured.

A foreign ministry statement said: “We extend our profound condolences with the government and the people of Afghanistan and the families of those who lost their loved ones in this brutal terrorist attack. We also pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded.”

It added: “Pakistan reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations.”