‘Look inwards’: COAS rejects Afghan accusations of support for Taliban

Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful Afghanistan, says army chief

Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated that there is no support for any terrorist activity inside Afghanistan from Pakistan and the Afghan government needs to look inwards as the problem lies within the war-torn country, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.

The reply by the army chief comes after sections of Afghan media and the government blamed Pakistan for assisting the recent Taliban assault on the strategic city of Ghazni.



The army chief strongly denied any support for terrorist elements in Afghanistan and said that he “stands by his commitment to the Afghan president for ensuring all measures which could facilitate peace in Afghanistan”. General Bajwa also expressed concern at the recent surge in violence and loss of lives in the volatile country.

Referring to Pakistan allegedly treating wounded Taliban fighters, the military’s media wing clarified that the alleged return of injured and dead terrorists is incorrect.

“However, there are scores of Pakistanis working in Afghanistan in connection with various businesses and labour who periodically fall victim to terrorism acts alongside their Afghan brothers inside Afghanistan,” said the army’s media wing and added that terming such victims as terrorists was unfortunate.

Elaborating further, the statement said that different factions of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), hiding in numerous sanctuaries across Afghanistan under assumed Afghan identities, are transported to Pakistan due to injuries or death.



“Additionally, Afghan refugees and their relatives also resort to similar practices.”

The army chief said the solution thus remains on “making substantive progress on Afghan reconciliation efforts as well as on the speedy implementation of Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Stability (APAPPS)”.

The military further stated that Pakistan continues to support all initiatives for a peaceful Afghanistan and peace in Pakistan and the region can not be achieved without a peaceful Afghanistan.