AdSense Advertisement

Pakistan urges Taliban to act against militants, warns patience running thin

By The South Asia Times

Islamabad - Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of failing to rein in militant groups responsible for a surge in cross-border terrorist attacks over the past four years.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi , speaking at a weekly press briefing on Friday, said attacks originating from Afghan soil had sharply increased since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021, leading to heavy civilian and military casualties inside Pakistan.

“Despite exercising maximum restraint and repeatedly engaging with the Taliban, we have only received hollow promises and no meaningful action,” Andarabi told reporters.

He said Pakistan had extended trade concessions, humanitarian assistance, and political support to the Taliban regime in hopes of fostering cooperation, but “the response has been inaction.”

The spokesperson reiterated that banned outfits including the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), Fitna al-Khawarij, BLA (Baloch Liberation Army), or Fitna al-Hindustan remain “enemies of the state and its people,” warning that anyone sheltering or financing them “cannot be considered a friend of Pakistan.”

Andarabi criticised efforts by Afghan authorities to portray Afghan-based militants as refugees, calling it “a ploy to disguise terrorists as civilians.” He stressed that Islamabad is ready to accept Pakistani nationals living in Afghanistan “if handed over through legal border crossings — not pushed across armed with sophisticated weapons.”

He further accused certain Taliban elements of trying to incite Pashtun nationalism inside Pakistan, describing it as a “dangerous and misguided campaign” that ignores the fact that Pashtuns are an integral and influential segment of Pakistan’s society and state institutions.

“There is absolutely no division within Pakistan on Afghan policy,” he said, noting that the entire nation stands united with its armed forces in the fight against terrorism.

Andarabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness to resolve issues through dialogue but warned the Taliban regime must first stop terrorist infiltration: “Our armed forces and our people are fully determined to eliminate this menace and protect Pakistan’s national security.”