Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of refusing to counter terrorism — Dawn

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information on October 31 accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to address the problem of terrorism which, Islamabad claims, originates from Afghan territory. Dawn reports.

The statement came in response to remarks by Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. He told Hurriyat Radio that it is Islamabad’s incorrect policies that prevent the settlement of the conflict between the two countries. According to him, Pakistan does not seek to resolve the disagreements through negotiations and lacks adequate readiness for a peaceful settlement.

Pakistan’s position

The Pakistani ministry called these statements evidence of the Taliban leadership’s unwillingness to confront the causes of deteriorating bilateral relations. The agency claims that the Afghan side is shifting responsibility onto Islamabad while ignoring security issues.

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The ministry stressed that the security of Pakistan’s citizens is non-negotiable. Islamabad stated that it would not tolerate the existence across the border of terrorist havens that, in its assessment, pose a threat to the country.

Statement on possible measures

Pakistan also stated that the Taliban’s refusal to address the problem of terrorism is the main obstacle to normalizing relations between the countries. The Ministry of Information said that Pakistan reserves the right to take all necessary measures in accordance with international law to eliminate threats to national security regardless of where they originate.

Islamabad called on Kabul to acknowledge responsibility for countering such threats and stated that Pakistan’s determination to protect its citizens should not be perceived as weakness.