Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has warned the federal government that given its past policies, it should not expect friendly behavior from Afghanistan.
Speaking at a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party event, Gandapur addressed the military, stating, “When Pakistan provided military bases for U.S. operations, it should not now expect Afghanistan to present us with flowers.”
These remarks come as Islamabad continues to accuse the Taliban-led Afghanistan of fostering unrest within Pakistan, allegations that the Taliban have consistently denied as baseless.
Gandapur added, “Islamabad should not expect flowers from Afghanistan. When you provided bases for launching attacks against a neighboring country that is both Pashtun and Muslim, how can you now expect them to send you flowers?”
He continued, “You provided bases for sending bullets to Afghanistan’s children, and now you blame Afghanistan for any incident that occurs in Pakistan. During Imran Khan’s tenure, terrorism had ceased, but now the Pakistan Democratic Movement parties are the ones promoting terror in our country.”
Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan have become increasingly complex since the Taliban regained power three years ago. Islamabad has accused the Taliban of harboring the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allowing Afghan territory to be used against Pakistan. The Taliban, however, have consistently rejected these claims, asserting that the TTP is an internal Pakistani issue.
Mohammad Eisa Isaaqzai, head of the National Congress of Afghanistan, remarked, “Pakistan’s regimes, contrary to the national interests and the will of their people and Afghanistan, have pursued extremist and proxy war agendas for years. It is crucial for national and freedom-loving figures in both Pakistan and Afghanistan to act in unity.”
While the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan was initially better following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, due to the support of Imran Khan’s PTI, it has deteriorated significantly under subsequent governments. Pakistan’s representative to the United Nations has even expressed concern about threats believed to emanate from Afghan soil towards Pakistan.
