Pak voices concern over growing influence of ISIS in Af

Pakistan today expressed concern over the growing influence of Da'esh (the Islamic State) in Afghanistan and its concentration on the borders with the Afghan neighbours.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said at the weekly media briefing that Da'esh had been involved in cross-border raids at Pakistani military posts.

"We have been consistently raising serious concerns about the rising footprint of Da'esh in Afghanistan. Concentration of Da'esh along the borders with Pakistan, Central Asian Republics, Iran and China further alarms us of its negative implications for Afghanistan, Pakistan and regional security," he said.

He said the evidence of Da'esh's cross-border raids at Pakistani military posts had been shared on several occasions with Afghanistan.

Faisal said Pakistan always supported an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process in Afghanistan and reiterated that only political reconciliation can bring lasting peace in the war-torn country.

He said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accepted an invitation from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to visit Afghanistan at a convenient time.

To a question about Pakistan firing across the border with Afghanistan, he said that "our border troops only open fire when they are fired upon (by terrorists) and the response is always directed at the point of origin and is proportionate.