Islamabad, 9 May 2024(GNP): Islamabad and Kabul engaged in new war of words as the Foreign Office (FO) rejects the latest charges by Afghanistan that Da’ish terrorist group was operating from Pakistan.
On Monday, DG ISPR Major General Ahmed Sharif issued a new charge sheet against the Taliban government, indicting them of not doing enough to stop the cross-border terrorist attacks being committed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The chief military spokesperson also formally validated for the first time that the March 26 terrorist attack targeting Chinese engineers in Besham had links to Afghanistan.
The Afghan Defense Ministry declined the Pakistani statement and accused Islamabad for supporting Daesh.
The FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch affirmed Pakistan’s opinion that there was enough testimony to suggest a link between recent terrorist incidents and Afghanistan.
“You must have seen the statement made by ISPR in which it was very clearly detailed that we have proof of the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan” the spokesperson stated.
“We have also found proof that the attack in Besham has links with terrorists currently residing inside Afghanistan”, she added.
Also Read: Ambassador of France meets the Minister for finance and revenue
She stated that Pakistan expected the Afghan authorities to take effective measures against these terrorist individuals.
“With such effective measures, they should be able to manifest that these terror groups do not have refuges and retreats inside Afghanistan.”
She stated that Pakistan would share proof with the Afghan authorities once comprehensive information and intelligence data from the law enforcement agencies were available.
“You would realize that there are several channels of communication between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Our respective embassies are one channel, but there are other channels, including in the security domain, through which Pakistan exchanges information and its issues related to these terror groups.
We have been calling on the Afghan authorities to take effective action against TTP and other related terror groups.”
However, she declined Afghan allegations about Da’ish, terming them “unwarranted and irresponsible.”
“Instead of such irresponsible declarations, the Afghan authorities should take effective action against all terror groups based in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson stated.
Meanwhile, Pakistan condemned in the strongest terms the attack and tremor of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza by Israeli occupation forces in rebellion of international warnings and acceptable international behavior.
“With its latest actions, Israeli occupation authorities have once again manifested their contempt for international humanitarian law as they continue to pursue an repugnant policy of genocide and extermination in Gaza,” the spokesperson stated.
She stated that Israeli forces had bombed, starved, and humiliated the people of Gaza for months.
“And they now are moving forward to vigorously displace civilians from the last remaining shelter for millions absconding from the inhumane assault in the rest of the encircled Gaza Strip,” the spokesperson added.
“These war crimes and crimes against humanity must end. We call on the international community to take urgent measures to bring an end to this hostility and genocide. Measures should be taken to fully protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and the occupation forces must be held accountable for the Gaza genocide,” she stated.
