Pakistan on Friday registered a strong diplomatic protest with Afghanistan over what it described as continued terrorist activity emanating from Afghan soil, warning that Islamabad would take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its citizens.
The protest was conveyed after Afghanistan’s Deputy Head of Mission was summoned to the Foreign Office, where concerns were formally raised about a recent deadly attack targeting a military installation in North Waziristan.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan condemned in the strongest terms the assault carried out by terrorists linked to the outlawed Gul Bahadur group, part of Fitna al Khawarij, which resulted in the martyrdom of four Pakistani soldiers.
According to the spokesperson, the Afghan diplomat was handed a formal démarche outlining Pakistan’s serious reservations over what it termed persistent facilitation and support being extended to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan by the Afghan Taliban authorities. Such support, he said, has led to repeated attacks on Pakistan’s security forces and civilians in border and adjoining areas.
Islamabad underscored that the presence of TTP elements operating freely inside Afghanistan runs counter to Kabul’s international commitments and its repeated assurances that Afghan territory would not be allowed to be used against any country, particularly Pakistan.
Pakistan also called on the interim Afghan government to conduct thorough investigations into terrorist attacks launched from its soil and to take decisive action against planners, facilitators, and leadership of all terrorist groups active there.
The spokesperson said Afghan authorities were urged to take immediate, concrete, and verifiable steps to prevent the use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan.
He added that Pakistan made it clear during the protest that it fully reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people, and would respond appropriately to any threats originating from across the border.
