ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the interim Afghan Taliban authorities to fulfil the assurances given to the international community by dismantling terrorist infrastructure and taking visible and verifiable actions to prevent Afghan soil from being used against other countries.
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Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a statement, categorically rejected baseless and contrived allegations by Acting Afghanistan Deputy Foreign Minister Stanikzai.
Earlier this week, Stanikzai alleged that Daesh has training centres in Pakistan where militants prepare for subversive activities in Afghanistan.
In his post on X, Khawaja Asif responded to these accusations and said, “Pakistan categorically rejects these baseless, fabricated allegations by Acting Afghanistan DFM Stanikzai, which appear to be an attempt to shift blame.”
Khawaja Asif said according to the latest report of the UN Monitoring Team, over two dozen terrorist groups including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaida, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) are operating in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister said Afghanistan remained the hub for ISKP’s recruitment and facilitation in 2024.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused neighbouring Afghanistan of harbouring and supporting terrorist groups that conduct cross-border attacks.
Khawaja Asif urged the Afghan interim authorities to fulfil their international commitments. “The interim Afghan authorities are well advised to fulfil the assurances given to the international community by dismantling terrorist infrastructure and taking visible and verifiable actions to prevent Afghan soil from being used against other countries,” he added.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Stanikzai warned of sending fighters across the border if Pakistan did not “mend its ways”.
Pakistan has been raising concerns about Afghanistan harbouring the banned TTP. Following recent terrorist attacks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted that any aggression from across the border would cross Pakistan’s red line.
While saying that Pakistan preferred dialogue to resolve issues, PM Shehbaz maintained that the Taliban must stop providing sanctuary to the banned TTP for meaningful progress.
The presence of militant groups in Afghanistan under Taliban rule has long been a source of tension in regional security discussions. Countries such as Russia, Iran, and China, which have maintained diplomatic ties with the Taliban, have repeatedly urged the Taliban authorities to prevent Afghan soil from being used for cross-border attacks.