Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has urged the Taliban not to allow Afghanistan soil to be used by terror groups while visiting the wounded of the Sunday suicide bombing that struck in northwestern Bajaur.
“The interim Afghan government should undertake concrete measures towards denying the use of its soil for transnational terrorism,” Sharif was quoted saying in the Pakistani DAWN newspaper on Tuesday.
The Pakistani PM also accused Afghanistan citizens “to be involved in suicide attacks inside Pakistan.”
The Sunday explosion occurred when a suicide bomber ripped through a political rally of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party in Bajaur district, which borders Afghanistan. Initial reports indicated that at least 44 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded.
The death toll from the deadly suicide bombing in Bajaur rose to 54 on Monday.
Islamic State—Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistani Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also called on Taliban authorities on a separate occasion to take action against militants who are sheltered inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan expects the Taliban to take action against terrorist organizations and respect its counter-terrorism commitment made with the international community under the Doha Agreement, Bilawal said during a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Terrorist attacks have surged across Pakistan in recent years targeting Pakistani security forces and civilians. Pakistan has blamed the Taliban for the escalating terror-related insecurity in Pakistan, mainly for harboring the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
A recent UN Security Council Monitoring report stated that TTP has been significantly emboldened since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan nearly two years ago. The report reveals that factions of the TTP are seeking to merge with Al-Qaeda to expand its influence, warning the former could become a regional threat if it continues to enjoy a safe haven in Afghanistan.
