| Pakistan must not allow its soil to be used to launch attacks in Afghanistan, the government said on Saturday, after a Pakistani militant vowed to continue “jihad” while pursuing peace talks with Islamabad. The statement by Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud on Saturday was “naked interference” in Afghanistan’s affairs, Defence Ministry spokesman General Muhammad Zahir Azimi told AFP. “Our hope from the Pakistan government is to prevent its soil being used against our country,” Azimi said. Azimi reiterated calls by Afghan and Western leaders for a combined approach to fighting the extremism that straddles the border. “Any agreement must be based on regional and bilateral interests ... Any unilateral agreement posing threat to a second country would be against the interests of the region and the world.” |