Khawaja Asif Responds to Pakistani Students Supporting Afghan Students

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised Pakistani students expressing solidarity with Afghan students, saying their stance reflects political leanings more than goodwill.

In a statement posted on social media, Asif said Pakistan had hosted Afghans for five decades and shared its limited resources with them.

He said Pakistan had also expressed goodwill towards Afghanistan following the withdrawal of NATO forces, hoping that its western border would become secure and that the two neighbouring countries would live peacefully.

However, the defence minister said Pakistan continued to face security challenges linked to terrorism. He stated that, according to his assessment, 70 to 80 percent of those involved in attacks on Pakistani mosques, schools, markets and security forces were Afghans.

Asif also said Afghan elements were showing solidarity with India, which he described as Pakistan’s long-standing adversary.

He said direct and indirect contacts between Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership and Afghan counterparts had continued, but, in his view, these engagements had not reduced what he described as hostility towards Pakistan.

Commenting on Pakistani students supporting Afghan students, Asif said their solidarity was more reflective of their political preferences than affection.

He argued that five decades of Pakistan hosting Afghans and sharing its resources had not produced the change in attitudes Islamabad had hoped for.

The defence minister advised Pakistani students supporting Afghan students to consider studying at educational institutions in Afghanistan as a gesture of goodwill.

He further said the conduct of such students was disrespectful to Pakistanis who had been killed in terrorist attacks linked by Islamabad to militants coming from Afghanistan.

Asif also urged students not to allow political affiliation to overshadow the sacrifices of Pakistani citizens and security personnel killed in terrorist attacks.