Pakistan has once again called on Afghanistan to take decisive action against terrorists operating from its soil. Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andarabi said that terrorist groups active in Pakistan include Afghan nationals. Pakistan has provided Afghanistan with full evidence of terrorist activities and urged the Afghan regime to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism.
Andarabi expressed hope that the Afghan Taliban would take action against the proscribed TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan). He emphasized that the presence of terrorists and safe havens in Afghanistan is not a humanitarian issue, and claimed that the Afghan Taliban are exploiting Pashtun nationalism. He noted that a larger Pashtun population resides in Pakistan than in Afghanistan.
The spokesperson further criticized decrees issued in Afghanistan that legitimize terrorism and stated that Pakistan is committed to eradicating the menace of terrorism. He added that certain Afghan Taliban factions receive foreign funding and use it against Pakistan.
On regional mediation, Andarabi welcomed Iran’s efforts and said Pakistan believes Iran can play an important role. He also expressed willingness to welcome any constructive role from Russia.
Regarding border security, he mentioned that Pakistan’s forces are monitoring the Afghan border for ceasefire violations, but it cannot yet be confirmed if the ceasefire with Afghan Taliban is fully in place. On Afghan refugees, he said their return is being assessed under three separate categories, and no specific timeline has been announced.
