Asif incensed at Taliban’s reluctance to go after TTP

Says Pakistan suffering consequences of wrong policy

ISLAMABAD:

 

Expressing his frustration over a surge in attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) using the Afghan soil, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said that allowing Afghan refugees to settle in Pakistan was a grave mistake.

“The current situation has raised significant concerns about the facilities provided to the Afghan refugees,” he stated while speaking on the Express News show ‘Center Stage’ and added, “Pakistan has suffered the consequences of sheltering and hosting the Afghan refugees.”

The minister said that the presence of terror safe havens in Afghanistan and terrorist movement has been well known to us. “The PTI government made serious errors during its tenure, committing crimes against the state. Over 300,000 people have been brought here, with 500,000 Afghan migrants already present,” he said.

“What have we done in the past four years? Now we must find a solution to the Afghan refugee issue in Pakistan,” he added.

The defense minister noted that, in the past, a terrorist involved in a suicide attack had posed as an attendant to a patient. Now, the Afghan citizens have also become involved in such incidents, which is unacceptable.

The minister revealed that during his visit to Kabul with a delegation, he had raised concerns about these terrorist incidents. “The Afghan government also presented some proposals to us. Their response was not negative, but unfortunately, these incidents have not stopped in Pakistan. We need to find a swift resolution to this matter because it is not acceptable to us. We have various options available, and Kabul should engage with us to address these issues.”

Asif mentioned that there was no sectarian strife in Pakistan, and that it was a “misinterpretation”. However, we have paid a heavy price for this situation, he said. “The world needs to see what is happening with them. We have been cooperating with them for 35 years.”

Moreover, Islamabad has conveyed Kabul, through diplomatic channels, its strong reservations over the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) using the Afghan soil with liberty.

A day after Army chief General Asim Munir’s stern warning, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday went a step further and accused the Afghan interim government of dishonouring the commitments made with Pakistan and the international community as outlined in the Doha agreement.

“Afghanistan is neither fulfilling its obligation as a neighbouring and brotherly country nor safeguarding the peace agreement.”

Official sources told The Express Tribune that the hard-hitting statements by the country’s army chief and defense minister showed Pakistan’s frustration over lack of cooperation by the Afghan Taliban to tackle the TTP.

The sources said after the recent spate of attacks, particularly in Balochistan, Pakistan reached out to the Afghan Taliban government to convey its strong displeasure.

The Afghan government was told in clear terms that the use of the Afghan soil by the TTP would not go unpunished. Islamabad informed Kabul that it reserved the right to hit back at the safe havens across the border.

The sources said those efforts and messages failed to make any headway. Pakistan was also upset with the recent statements of some Afghan Taliban officials, who stated that the TTP was Pakistan’s problem.

The sources said the Afghan Taliban knew the TTP was operating out of Afghanistan. Pakistan in the past shared their whereabouts and exact location of TTP.

The aggressive statements by Pakistan, the sources said, were aimed at pressurising the Afghan Taliban to tackle the TTP issue.

Defense Minister Asif was furious over the Taliban’s lack of cooperation. “[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.

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”.

With additional input from Kamran Yousaf