Islamabad, Dec 28 : Pakistan has expressed concerns about the spike in violence in Afghanistan and assured help in enhancing security, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The statement issued on Sunday said that Pakistan continued to "express its deep concern at the increasing level of violence" in Afghanistan during the current year and Prime Minister Imran Khan, on several occasions, has reiterated his calls for reduction in violence leading to a ceasefire, reports Xinhua news agency. "It is important to underline the need for Afghan government to take proactive measures to fulfil its responsibility for internal security, law and order and protection of Afghan lives," the statement said. It said Pakistan stands ready to expand all possible cooperation in the area of security and effective border management through effective institutional collaboration. Referring to the resumption of intra-Afghan negotiations expected on January 5, 2021, the statement said the negotiations would enter an important and critical phase that would be focusing on the substantive issues related to a comprehensive future political settlement. "In this delicate phase of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations, it is important for the negotiating parties to avoid accusations and to demonstrate wisdom, sagacity and vision for the larger objective of lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan." The statement said that Pakistan would like to reiterate its firm commitment to lasting peace and stability in the war-torn country as the Afghan peace process is making encouraging progress towards a political solution to the conflict there. The statement recalled that Pakistan has continued to emphasize that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict, and solution of the conflict through a political process is the only way forward. "Towards this end, Pakistan has been engaged in serious efforts to facilitate an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process," it concluded. Afghanistan has witnessed a resurgence of violence in recent days. In a report last week, the Afghan Interior Ministry claimed that 28 civilians were killed and 47 others injured in blasts across the country from December 17-20. According to the Ministry, a total of 37 suicide attacks and 510 blasts have killed nearly 500 civilians and injured more than 1,050 others over the past three months in Afghanistan. A total of 2,117 civilians had been killed and 3,822 injured from January 1 to September 30 this year, according to a report of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released in October. /IANS