Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Abdullah Haroon has responded firmly to Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul’s charge of cross-border attacks exhorting him to refrain from the blame game. Ambassador Haroon was speaking at the 15-member UN Security Council. His statement that Pakistan was exercising ‘considerable restraint’ despite the fact that our posts were repeatedly attacked by terrorist groups from Afghan side is evidence of the patience and restraint with which we treat our western neighbour. “We continue to be resolute despite the high human and economic cost of this endeavour”, he informed the world body. President Hamid Karzai and his coterie of ministers, whose leaning towards India is an open secret, continues to issue statements to play to the gallery.The Kabul government on Friday came out with a rather harsh measure banning all Pakistani newspapers from Afghanistan. Such moves are bound to further strain the already problematic bilateral equation. The Afghan authorities must realise that once the foreign troops’ pullout is complete, Kabul would need Islamabad’s cooperation in every sphere of life. True Afghan leaders’ alliance with India is supported by Washington, yet, Kabul must keep in mind, the vital role that Pakistan can play for peace and prosperity of Afghanistan. Belligerence, evident through such statements by Afghan Cabinet members, must be discouraged for peaceful friendly relations.