TTP in disarray after Indian funding halted: Fawad

Information minister urges New Delhi to stay away from interfering in Afghan peace process

ISLAMABAD:

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is in disarray after its funding from India had come to an end.

“It is a positive development and good news for Pakistan, the minister said on Tuesday while addressing a press conference in Islamabad following federal cabinet meeting.

“As far as their operation from inside Pakistan is concerned, we are not a weak state as the Pakistan Army and security forces have a capacity to deal with such challenges,” he said, adding that discontinuation of funding would give a deadly blow to the TTP.

Fawad said India is making constant efforts to sabotage the peace process in Afghanistan. “India must stay away from the whole process going on in Afghanistan as it is neither its neighbour nor has any role in Afghanistan peace process.”

He lashed out at New Delhi for using Afghan soil during the ousted government, led by Ashraf Ghani, to sponsor terrorism in Pakistan and added that now Indian media had been on the forefront to sabotage the Afghan peace process through baseless propaganda campaign.

He pointed out that the Afghan Taliban had announced that no one would be allowed to use their territory against Pakistan. It is a positive development, he said, expressing hope that the authorities in Afghanistan would ensure its implementation.

Also read: Afghan Taliban given list of ‘wanted’ TTP men

Fawad said that Afghanistan would cooperate with Pakistan for the extradition of top terrorists including members of outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and TTP, hiding in the neighbouring country.

He also said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi apprised the cabinet of the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

He said the cabinet was informed that Pakistan is carrying out serious efforts for the evacuation of foreign nationals from Kabul. “We are facilitating the evacuation of thousands of people of different nationalities from Afghanistan’s capital Kabul”, he added.

He said the Pakistan International Airlines had so far facilitated the evacuation of over 1,500 people from Kabul.

Pakistan was also taking steps to open its borders for evacuating of foreign nationals from Afghanistan, he added.

About the government formation process in Afghanistan, he said Pakistan is playing a responsible role and is in close contact with Afghan authorities, in addition to other countries including Turkey and China.

Pakistan has always advocated for a political solution to the Afghan problem, he said, adding that the situation would have been better, provided its advice had been heeded to.