ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday strongly rebuked Afghanistan for “neglecting its duties as neighbor and violating crucial obligations agreed upon in Doha, specifically its commitment to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities.
The federal minister’s statement comes following the attack in Balochistan’s Zhob and Sui districts, which claimed the lives of at least 12 security personnel, and a day after the armed forces of Pakistan voiced similar concerns.
افغانستان ھمسایہ اور برادر ملک ھونے کا حق نہیں ادا کر رہا اور نہ ھی دوہہ معاہدے کی پاسداری کر رہا ھے. 50/60 لاکھ افغانوں کو تمامتر حقوق کیساتھ پاکستان میں 40/50 سال پناہ میسر ھے. اسکے بر عکس پاکستانیوں کا خون بہانے والے دھشت گردوں کو افغان سر زمین پہ پناہ گائیں میسر ھیں. یہ صورت…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) July 15, 2023
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had issued the statement following Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir’s visit to Quetta Garrison where he was briefed on a recent attack on a military installation in Balochistan’s Zhob Cantt. Gen Munir is presently in Iran, having arrived there yesterday for an official visit scheduled to last two days.
“[Around] 50/60 lakh Afghans have 40/50 year asylum in Pakistan with all rights. On the contrary, the terrorists who shed the blood of Pakistanis can find refuge on Afghan soil. This situation cannot continue any longer [sic],” wrote Asif on Twitter, vowing that Pakistan will use all resources at its disposal to protect its land and citizens.
According to Asif, Pakistan has provided refuge to five to six million Afghan refugees for 40 to 50 years with all their rights intact. However, he added: “Conversely, the terrorists who shed the blood of Pakistanis find refuge on Afghan soil.”
The minister cautioned that the ongoing situation could no longer persist. He asserted that Pakistan would employ all possible resources and measures, “with the guidance of Allah, to safeguard its territory and citizens”.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban spokesperson in a recent statement claimed the interim government was not allowing its soil to be used against any country and that TTP was a problem for Pakistan to deal with.
The TTP has become a thorny issue between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. Despite efforts, the two sides could not find a common ground to deal with the issue.
At the heart of the problem is the Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to act against the TTP and its leadership. Pakistan believes that the TTP and its top leadership were operating in Afghanistan with impunity.
