Taliban envoy summoned, given four demands to rein in terror

Demands include extradition of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose group carried out Bannu suicide attack

ISLAMABAD:

The head of the Afghan diplomatic mission in Pakistan was summoned on Tuesday by the Foreign Office (FO) and conveyed four demands including extradition of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose group carried out the recent terrorist attack in Bannu.

Two civilians lost their lives while 10 others, including three security forces personnel, were injured in a suicide attack in Bannu’s Bakka Khel area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday.

The military's media wing added that a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber, affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and later identified as an Afghan national, targeted a security forces convoy.

Read more: Two killed in Bannu suicide attack: ISPR

The representative of the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan was called on Tuesday into the foreign office to issue a strong protest over Sunday’s suicide attack.

This was the 16th suicide attack in Pakistan which was carried out by the Afghan national.

Although the foreign office did not issue any handout, sources told The Express Tribune that Pakistan conveyed its serious concerns to the Taliban diplomat over the repeated use of Afghan soil.

Sources revealed that the Afghan representative was conveyed the four key demands.

Those demands include full investigation into the Bannu attack and stern action against perpetrators and abettors.

Also read: One killed in Bannu blast

Pakistan also demanded immediate “verifiable actions” against all terrorist groups and their sanctuaries, according to sources.

Similarly, the Afghan Taliban representative was told to apprehend Hafiz Gul Bahadar and hand him over to Pakistan. Islamabad also reiterated its demand from the Kabul regime to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.

It is not clear if the Afghan Taliban pay heed to Pakistan’s latest demands as it has in the past refused to act against the TTP and its affiliates.

Tensions have been running high between the two countries for months over the issue.

Despite repeated demands, the Afghan Taliban were reluctant to neutralise the TTP. Instead, the Afghan Taliban government has still been pushing for the revival of talks between Pakistan and the TTP.

The Taliban recently asked Pakistan to suggest alternatives to tackle the problem of TTP. The reason the Afghan Taliban are hesitant to act against the TTP stems from its long association with the terrorist outfit.

Pakistani officials in recent days minced no words that the Afghan Taliban were controlling the TTP.

Since the return of the Taliban in August 2021 in Afghanistan, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has gone up by 60 per cent while suicide attacks rose by 500 per cent.