Pakistan summons Afghan envoy over attacks: FM

Pakistan has summoned a senior Afghan diplomat and conveyed grave concern over attacks by a terrorist group from its "sanctuaries inside Afghanistan," the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Lahore on Monday that killed nearly 16 people including two police officers.

The group also carried out an attack on an office of a local administrator in Mohmand tribal region on Wednesday and killed three security personnel and two civilians.

Afghan Deputy Head of Mission, Syed Abdul Nasir Yousafi was summoned on Tuesday and "conveyed the grave concern of Pakistan about the continuing terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil by the terrorist outfit, Jumaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) from its sanctuaries inside Afghanistan," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar's spokesman Asad Mansoor claimed responsibility shortly after the Wednesday attack.

"Attention of the DHM was also drawn to the earlier actionable intelligence shared by our authorities with the Afghan side," the Foreign Ministry said.

Afghanistan was urged to take urgent measures to eliminate the terrorists and their sanctuaries, financiers and handlers operating from its territory, the statement further said.

An Aide-Memoire containing details of the terrorist attacks and supporting information was also shared with the Afghan Deputy Head of Mission.

Pakistani security officials have long been insisting that Pakistani militants have fled to Afghanistan after the army conducted major operations in the tribal regions. Endit