The Pakistan Government has restated its support for an Afghan-led peace process and said that the peace reconciliation process is of central importance for enduring stability, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Tasnim Aslam said in a statement on Friday.
Last week, Afghan National Security Advisor Dr. Rangeen Dadfar Spanta said that the U.S. must choose between having Afghanistan or Pakistan as a strategic partner before Kabul is willing to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).
Aslam said in her response statement that Pakistan steadfastly supports the Afghan peace process and Pakistan remains firm in its belief in the Afghan reconciliation process.
She said that her country has made concrete efforts to facilitate this process, the latest effort when Pakistan and the US jointly restated calls for the Taliban to join the peace process.
"Itself a major victim of terrorism, Pakistan has been in the forefront of international efforts to combat extremism and terrorism. Any view purporting to project Pakistan in a contrary light is removed from reality," the statement read.
Last week, reports were made in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of increased rocket attacks originating from across the border in Pakistan. There have been a number of heated confrontations over the years between Afghan and Pakistani border outfits, but no resolution to the skirmishes has been found.
Although relations between Kabul and Islamabad seemed to be improving in the fall of 2013, with Pakistan participating in a number of bilateral discussions with the Afghan government about getting Taliban peace talks on track, Dr. Spanta's comments on Thursday made it clear that tensions were still high.