ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Thursday cautiously welcomed a declaration issued by more than 1,000 Afghan Ulema in Kabul, noting that its effectiveness will hinge on written assurances from the Afghan Taliban leadership, something Islamabad has repeatedly sought but has yet to receive.

Addressing his weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad had taken "positive note" of the Kabul gathering's five-point joint declaration, which warned that anyone conducting "military operations beyond Afghanistan's borders" would be considered an act of rebellion and punished for violating the Emir's orders.

The statement, widely seen as the strongest internal religious endorsement against cross-border terrorism, did not mention Pakistan by name but appeared aimed at groups

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