In response to recent terrorist attacks plaguing Pakistan, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday pointed fingers at Afghanistan, asserting that the source of terrorism lies across the border.
Amid escalating tensions, Asif emphasised the urgent need for a paradigm shift in the border dynamics between the two nations.
In a statement circulated on social media platform X, Asif underscored that despite Pakistan’s relentless efforts, Kabul has failed to address the issue effectively. He lamented the existence of terrorist safe havens within Afghan territory, accusing the Afghan government of turning a blind eye to the plight.
“The Pak-Afghan border presents a unique challenge, and in the absence of cooperation from Kabul, Pakistan is compelled to enforce international laws and norms along the border,” stated Asif. He emphasised the imperative of halting terrorist movements across the border to foster amicable relations akin to those of traditional good neighbors. Earlier, a leaked video has circulated on social media in which an Afghan Taliban commander, Yahya, was seen addressing a group of armed militants of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant group, which is a faction of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In the video, Yahya – who belongs to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) – is seen issuing directives to the terrorists to plan an attack on the security forces of Pakistan at the Pak-Afghan border. The security forces have said that the video has emerged from the Dangar Algad area in Afghanistan. According to the plan, the commander is heard saying, there will be six rocket launchers and six assistants, all of whom were ready to follow the orders of what he termed “Mujahideen Amirul Momineen Sheikh Ibadullah”.
On March 18, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed the execution of “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations” within Afghanistan’s border regions. The operations targeted terrorists affiliated with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, along with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), both of which have orchestrated numerous attacks within Pakistan, resulting in civilian and law enforcement casualties.
The latest spate of violence culminated in an attack on a security post in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, claiming the lives of seven Pakistani soldiers. President Asif Ali Zardari, while offering funeral prayers for the fallen soldiers, vowed retaliation, affirming that Pakistan would not hesitate to defend its borders and retaliate against any aggression.
