LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged the Taliban to take action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), stating that the group was involved in recent terrorist attacks in the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Lahore, Naqvi emphasized the need for the Taliban to arrest TTP leaders.
“We demand that the interim Taliban government arrest the TTP leaders, including its chief, Noor Wali Mehsud, and hand them over to Pakistan to maintain friendly relations between the two countries,” Naqvi said.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to act against the TTP, a group allegedly hiding and operating from Afghanistan. The Taliban, however, have denied these allegations.
The Pakistani interior minister expressed frustration over the lack of action by the Taliban against the TTP. “We have requested the interim Taliban government to take action against the TTP leaders who have been planning and executing terrorist attacks from Afghanistan,” he said. “But, unfortunately, nothing has been done from their side.”
“Pakistan wants good relations with Afghanistan, but it cannot happen at the cost of terrorism inside Pakistan,” Naqvi added.
Naqvi revealed that 11 alleged militants were arrested in connection with the March suicide attack on a convoy of Chinese workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district. Five Chinese nationals working on a power project and a Pakistani were killed in the attack.
The interior minister asserted that the attack was “planned and executed” from Afghanistan. “Terrorists in custody have confessed that they and the suicide bomber were trained in Afghanistan,” he claimed.
Pakistan has recently seen a surge in security incidents targeting its forces.
