Barrister Gohar conveys Imran Khan's concerns over worsening ties with Afghanistan

• PTI chairman laments worsening Pak-Afghan ties.
• Says such situation never arose during PTI's tenure.
• Gohar denounces "bad" foreign policy of government.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan conveyed party founder Imran Khan's reservations about the deteriorating ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, lamenting "bad" foreign policy of government.

The new PTI chairman, who was elected both times when the party held its highly contested intra-party polls, lamented the worsening of relations between Islamabad and Kabul over the security challenges being faced towards Pakistan's north western borders.

Speaking with journalists outside the Adiala jail after meeting Khan, Gohar said the situation — which has currently engulfed the country with regards to Afghanistan — never arose during the PTI's tenure in the government.

Islamabad's relations with Afghanistan have remained rocky owing to the intensified terror attacks in Pakistan, which the country claims are being launched from Afghan soil.

Barrister Gohar blamed the present state of affairs on the "bad" foreign policy of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government.

Earlier this week, Pakistani forces carried out intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the border regions inside Afghanistan, targeting terrorists involved in launching attacks using Afghan soil, particularly the March 16 attack in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, which resulted in deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement officials.

In its statement following the IBO, Foreign Office (FO) said Pakistan, for the past two years, has repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns to the interim Afghan government over the presence of terror outfits including TTP inside Afghanistan.

It said that these terrorists pose a grave threat to Pakistan’s security and have consistently used Afghan territory to launch terror attacks inside Pakistani territory.

The politician, who was recently elected as a lawmaker to the National Assembly, reiterated his belief in the country's armed forces, adding that they are strong enough to defend Pakistan.

When commenting on the letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by PTI, the party's chairman said it was written to remind the Washington-based lender regarding the situation in Pakistan.

He clarified that the protests conducted outside the IMF's headquarters in the United States' capital were organised by overseas Pakistanis and that the party did not send anyone from Pakistan to organise it.