Responding to accusations from Islamabad, a Taliban spokesman asserted on Wednesday that Pakistan must address its internal issues independently and refrain from attributing its failures to Afghanistan.
The statement comes in light of Pakistan’s claims that militant attacks within its borders have significantly increased since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan two years ago.
Issuing a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid emphasized, “The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use the territory of Afghanistan against Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not responsible for maintaining peace in Pakistan.”
“Since insecurity has increased in Pakistan after the victory of the Islamic Emirate, it does not mean that we are behind the insecurity in Pakistan. Weapons are safe in Afghanistan. They are not stolen. Arms smuggling is prohibited, and all illegal activities are prevented,” the statement said.
Mujahid conveyed that Afghanistan seeks amicable relations with Pakistan and has no intention of interfering in the affairs of other countries.
Earlier in the day, Anwar ul-Haq Kakar, the acting prime minister of Pakistan, disclosed at a press conference that terrorist incidents in Pakistan have surged by 60 percent in the two years following the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan. Kakar accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan of using Afghan territory as a base for attacks on Pakistan.
He clarified that Afghan immigrants in Pakistan with proper documentation would not be affected by Pakistan’s recent decision to deport undocumented immigrants. Kakar stated, “Regrettably, in the wake of the transitional government’s establishment in Afghanistan, terrorist incidents have seen a 60% increase, with suicide attacks surging by 500%. Over the past two years, more than 2,200 Pakistani citizens have lost their lives in this violence. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan bears responsibility, using Afghan soil for orchestrating cowardly attacks on Pakistan.”
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a coalition of various Pakistani militant groups that Islamabad claims are currently operating inside Afghanistan.
