Evidence against TTP 'shared with Kabul' widely

FO rebuts Afghan army chief's claim to the contrary

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan, while challenging the latest Afghan Taliban claim that it never shared any evidence regarding the presence of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the neighbouring country, on Thursday said "concrete evidence" of terrorist sanctuaries was shared on multiple occasions with the interim government in Kabul.

During a news conference in Kabul on Wednesday, the Taliban government's Chief of Army Staff Fasihuddin Fitrat claimed that Pakistan never provided evidence of the presence of the TTP in Afghanistan, insisting Islamabad should not blame Afghanistan for its own security weaknesses.

Fitrat firmly denied the presence of the TTP in Afghanistan, claiming that "everyone knows that the TTP's bases were located in areas under Pakistan's administrative control and that they operate from there against the Pakistani military and government".

He further stated, "No one can prove that the TTP has bases in Afghanistan. The Islamic emirate has promised that no attacks will be carried out on other countries from Afghan soil, and it stands by that promise."

It is worth noting that the statement from the Afghan army chief came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remarked that there was no longer any doubt that the banned TTP was operating from Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, while addressing the cabinet, Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan had informed the Afghan government of its concerns and had taken effective actions against terrorists.

At her weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch rubbished the claims by the Taliban government that Pakistan never shared any evidence of TTP.

"The use of Afghan soil for terrorist acts in Pakistan is well established. Pakistan has expressed its concerns on this issue on several occasions, including in our bilateral communications with the Afghan authorities," she said.

"Pakistan has shared concrete evidence of the involvement of individuals based in Afghanistan in terrorist incidents inside Pakistan. The presence of terror groups including TTP in Afghanistan is confirmed by multiple independent reports, including by the United Nations," she added.

"We expect the Afghan authorities to take concrete and robust action against these terror groups and prevent their activities that endanger Pakistan's security," the spokesperson further said.

To a question about the Taliban's suggestion for talks with the TTP, the spokesperson made it clear that it was out of question.

"Pakistan has no plans to engage in any talks with the TTP. We believe that such offers are an affront to thousands of victims of TTP, who have been killed in Pakistan," she stated emphatically.

"Pakistan therefore advises the Afghan authorities to take action against TTP and other terror groups that continue to threaten Pakistan's security and who have been involved in killing of Pakistani nationals in Pakistani territory," the spokesperson maintained.

When asked about the recognition of the Taliban government, the spokesperson said Pakistan's position regarding the recognition of the Interim Afghan Government had been clear since the outset.

"We believe this is a shared responsibility, and the neighboring countries of Afghanistan are the most important stakeholders in this regard. Therefore, we will take any decision on recognition in consultation with our regional partners," she said.

She also indicated that the recognition would not be without the Taliban first fulfilling certain conditions. "For Pakistan, counter-terrorism is a major concern that Afghanistan must address. We are confident that if the Interim Afghan government lives up to its commitment to the international community and its own people and ensure that its territory is not used for terrorism against its neighbours, there could be a definite movement towards recognition."

Responding to a question, the spokesperson said that the invitations had been sent to all heads of government of SCO member countries including India for the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Shanghai Cooperation Organization being held in Islamabad on October 15-16, 2024.

She said Pakistan had also received confirmation from some of the invited countries.