Afghan violations of key commitments agreed upon in Doha were strongly criticized by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday in ISLAMABAD. For “neglecting its duties” and breaking its promise to stop terrorists from using Afghan soil, he blasted the neighboring country on Twitter.
The attack in Balochistan’s Zhob and Sui districts claimed the lives of at least 12 security officers, and the federal minister’s announcement came a day after the Pakistani military forces expressed similar fears.
50–60% of Afghan refugees are granted sanctuary in Pakistan for 40–50 years with full rights. In contrast, Afghanistan provides safe haven for terrorists responsible for killing Pakistanis. Asif tweeted, “This situation cannot continue any longer [sic],” promising that Pakistan would employ all available means to defend its territory and people.
“Focus points”
General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, had warned the interim Afghan Taliban administration the day before about the presence of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) across the border, indicating that Pakistan will respond effectively to recent terrorist acts.
According to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the head of the Afghan army has expressed grave concerns over the “safe havens” of the TTP in that country.
“The Armed Forces of Pakistan have serious concerns on the safe havens and liberty of action available to TTP in Afghanistan,” the statement read.
The head of the Afghan military was quoted as saying, “It is expected that the interim Afghan Government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in the Doha Agreement.”
Recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan have been carried out by Afghan nationals, General Munir has disclosed.
There is also “another important concern that needs to be addressed,” the army commander stated, and that is “the involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan.”
“Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit effective response from the Security Forces of Pakistan,” he said.
He also assured the public that anti-terrorist operations would proceed as planned and that the military would remain vigilant until the threat of terrorism was eliminated.
The comments from the army chief implied anger on the side of the Pakistani government owing to the lack of cooperation from the Afghan Taliban in dealing with the TTP threat.
Meanwhile, in a recent statement, the Afghan Taliban spokesperson said that the interim government was not permitting its soil to be used against any country and that TTP was an issue for Pakistan to address.
Ignored militant group TTP to be moved from Pakistan to western Afghanistan.
Conflict between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has escalated over the TTP. The parties were unable to come to an agreement on how to handle the situation despite their best efforts.
The Afghan Taliban’s hesitation to take action against the TTP and its leadership lies at the heart of the issue. The TTP and its leadership, according to Pakistan, were free to operate in Afghanistan.
Zhob is under attack
The Chief of Army Staff was briefed about the recent terrorist incident in Zhob during his visit to the Quetta Garrison, in which at least nine troops chose the path of martyrdom. Terrorists have carried out a string of strikes in recent weeks, and this one was the most recent.
The military’s public relations office said that nine service members died heroically while preventing a terrorist attack on the Zhob Garrison. Three more troops were killed in the Sui region in a later attack.
The ISPR first reported four fatalities and five seriously injured soldiers as a result of the strike in Zhob. In the end, it was reported that the wounded troops also died and became martyrs.
According to the ISPR, “initial attempt of terrorists to sneak into the facility was checked by soldiers on duty,” and after a brief but intense firefight, the terrorists were pinned down in a limited area close to the boundary.
According to the ISPR, “in total, five terrorists have been sent to hell during the operation,” and a clearance operation was also conducted successfully.
According to the military’s press office, security personnel and highly armed militants engaged in gunfire in the Sui region.
The ISPR said that “three brave soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat while two terrorists were sent to hell” during the operation.
The military’s press service has announced that “security forces are maintaining pressure” and “clearance operation” are underway to capture any remaining terrorists. There is no letup in efforts by the security forces to identify and eliminate threats to peace in Balochistan and Pakistan.
