Islamabad says Taliban regime portraying “terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan as humanitarian issue”
Islamabad
Pakistan on Friday reiterated its stance of not engaging in talks with any terrorist group involved in attacks on its armed forces and civilians, expressing hope that Kabul would act against the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
“There has been an increase in terrorist incidents [in Pakistan] during the Afghan [Taliban] regime,” FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said during a weekly media briefing.
Andrabi urged the Taliban regime to prevent its soil from being used for terrorism inside Pakistan.
The FO spokesperson expressed gratitude to Turkiye and Qatar for making efforts to ease tension between the two countries.
“A recent round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban took place in Istanbul,” he said, adding that Pakistan had approached the Afghan Taliban regime with a positive intent.
However, he lamented Kabul’s response to Pakistan’s initiative, saying that the Taliban regime was portraying “terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan as a humanitarian issue”.
The peace negotiation between the two bordering nations collapsed without an agreement over what Islamabad called the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments; however, a ceasefire continues between the two neighbours.
The dialogue, first mediated by Qatar and then by Turkiye, began last month after a week-long border clash, instigated by the Taliban forces.
Pakistan eliminated over 200 Taliban fighters and their affiliated militants in retaliatory operations after they launched an unprovoked attack on multiple border posts of Pakistan’s forces.
Security forces also conducted “precision strikes” deep inside Afghanistan, including Kabul, and destroyed several terrorist hideouts.
Meanwhile, the FO spokesperson rubbished the Afghan Taliban’s attempt to portray the cross-border terrorism as a humanitarian issue, saying the presence of terrorists and their safe havens in Afghanistan was “absolutely not a humanitarian issue”.
Andrabi emphasised Pakistan’s unified approach in eradicating terrorism, saying that any claims about differences within Pakistan on its Afghan policy were propaganda by elements within the Taliban regime.
The FO spokesperson assailed Kabul for attempts to stoke Pashtun ethnic sentiment in Pakistan. “A larger Pashtun population resides in Pakistan than in Afghanistan.”
Pakistan was determined to eliminate the scourge of terrorism, he said, adding that the nation stood firm with the armed forces in their fight against terrorists.
Jordan’s King Abdullah arrives tomorrow
During the briefing, the FO spokesperson announced that Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein was scheduled to arrive in the country tomorrow (Saturday) for a two-day official visit.
King Abdullah is arriving in Pakistan for a visit from November 15–16 at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said.
