FO rejects UN comment on 27th amendment; Dar reveals aborted Afghanistan mission
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly rejected what it called a “baseless” statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said the UN’s “undue concern” was incomprehensible, emphasising that constitutional amendments fall squarely within the authority of elected representatives and must be respected as part of democratic process.
The spokesperson added that Pakistan remains committed to human rights, human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. “It is regrettable that Pakistan’s position and ground realities were not included in the UN statement,” the spokesperson said.
The Foreign Office urged the High Commissioner to respect Pakistan’s sovereign decisions and avoid comments “based on political bias and misinformation.”
PAKISTAN READY TO JOIN GAZA PEACEKEEPING FORCES
In a separate development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced Saturday that Pakistan is prepared to join the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza, but will not participate in any plan aimed at disarming Hamas.
Dar stressed that such a task lies with the Palestinian administration and its law-enforcement bodies, adding that several Muslim countries, including Pakistan, are unwilling to assume that role.
He said that Pakistan requires a clear understanding of the force’s mandate, terms of reference (TORs) and operational scope before committing. “Pakistan will take no final decision until there is complete agreement on these points,” Dar stated. He noted that Malaysia has also expressed reservations about the proposed ISF structure, underscoring the need for further global consultations.
AFGHANISTAN CLEAN-UP OPERATION HALTED
In a striking disclosure, Dar revealed that Pakistan had been close to launching a “clean-up operation” inside Afghanistan only weeks ago. The planned operation was halted after Qatar stepped in with an urgent offer of mediation.
“Qatar’s Foreign Ministry was contacting us every hour. They had realised Pakistan was moving towards action,” Dar said. “At Qatar’s request, we postponed the operation, but unfortunately this mediation did not yield any results.”
Explaining Islamabad’s hardened stance, he said Pakistan has recovered the bodies of 4,000 soldiers and seen more than 20,000 injured since the Taliban’s return to power. “How can I say we should close our eyes? Afghanistan as a government must review its policy,” he asserted.
Dar said that Pakistan does not wish to act against a “brotherly country,” but warned that the rising number of cross-border attacks cannot be ignored. “It is their misconception that we cannot take action. Allah has given us full strength.”
He also disclosed that Iran’s foreign minister recently called to suggest that Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and other regional countries jointly deliberate on Afghanistan to find a sustainable solution.