Says India invested in Afghanistan to harm Pakistan: No refugees pouring into country
RAWALPINDI
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Babar Iftikhar has emphasised that Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan is secure, saying “something can happen” at the border but “we are ready” for all sorts of situations.
At a press briefing on the evolving situation in Afghanistan on Friday, the ISPR spokesperson talked about the implied security-related issues that Pakistan can face due to the volatile situation in the neighbouring country and elaborated upon the measures taken by the security forces to mitigate any spillover into Pakistan.
“We have taken every possible step to maintain security at the border and every movement is under control there. But this does not mean that nothing can happen, something can happen, but we are prepared; it is not that we will be unaware of that,” the military’s spokesperson said. He said that after August 15, the border had to be closed and reopened several times.
The DG said the situation is “fairly normal” along the border as the army took every possible step to maintain security and further said that other than the people of Afghanistan, Pakistanis have been the biggest target of violence in Afghanistan. “There are no major incidents along the border, but this doesn’t mean nothing will happen; we are aware of the threat and fully prepared to thwart it,” he added.
He stated that the government in Islamabad and the military leadership of the country never doubted that peace in Afghanistan is linked to regional peace, especially in Pakistan. However, he said, as the situation in war-torn Afghanistan moved at a rapid pace, Pakistan has already taken the necessary measures to guard the border and ensure security in the country.
Maj Gen Iftikhar elaborated that Pakistan had reached out to Afghanistan on multiple occasions to formalise border mechanisms, as it was felt that was the answer to the instability existing along the Pak-Afghan border. However, the Afghan government under Ghani did not reciprocate these initiatives.
The spokesperson further said that several high-level visits, including by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, were undertaken and added that mechanisms were offered for the training of Afghan soldiers in the military training institutions of Pakistan, but “only six cadets came to Pakistan while thousands of soldiers and officers were trained in India.”
Maj Gen Iftikhar said that Pakistan Army has conducted multiple counter-insurgency operations on the western border and a massive capacity enhancement initiative was started in 2017. “After two decades, we can say we have fought off the menace of terrorism very well with the whole-of-nation approach. All these operations are the epitome of insurmountable spirit and supreme sacrifice of the whole nation’s efforts.”
He said, “We raised more than 60 wings of FC in Balochistan and KP as the force is manning the border amid a spike in cross-border attacks. The border fence was a massive undertaking. Just to start this project was a massive initiative, but now more than 90 percent of the border is fenced.”
Responding to a question about the banned terrorist organisation TTP, the military spokesperson said that the group used Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan with the help of “spoilers”.
“The situation on the other side of the border is very fluid. We believe the Taliban government will take effective measures to ensure that TTP doesn’t use Afghan soil to target Pakistan or other countries.”
He further said that the militant group no longer has any infrastructure or organisational presence in Pakistan any more. Iftikhar added that the country has been “repeatedly cautioning the world about the negative role played by spoilers” in Afghanistan, which are continuing to do so still.
Elaborating, the spokesperson said that while the country’s armed forces were conducting security operations on the western border, there were “massive” ceasefire violations (CFVs) on its eastern border.
When asked if the establishment of an Islamic emirate in Afghanistan will affect Pakistan, Gen Iftikhar said Pakistan is already an Islamic country with its Constitution being in accordance with Islamic laws. “Whatever has happened in Afghanistan, we need to understand the role of India. Whatever investments India made in Afghanistan, it was all done with the sole intention to harm Pakistan. They have no love lost for Afghan people or Afghanistan.”
The military spokesperson added that Indian intelligence agency RAW was responsible for cobbling up alliances between TTP and the militant Islamic State group.
Maj Gen Iftikhar clarified that no refugees are pouring into Pakistan. “Border crossing is not closed, but Pakistan is only allowing Afghans who have documents. People are moving on both sides of the border with proper documents, it is not free for all.”
There is reason to be optimistic the way things are, he said, while talking about the ties with the future Afghan government.
When asked about the recent attacks on Chinese nationals, he said that security would be beefed up if needed and the interior ministry is responsible for their protection. TLTP
