Taliban has denied Pakistan’s consistent allegations that Afghanistan soil is used for cross-border militant attacks, saying that Pakistan should find a solution to tackle terror threats on its own.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, said in a statement on Wednesday that Afghanistan is not responsible for the security failure of its neighbors, referring to Pakistan “to manage its security situation carefully” and not blame Afghanistan.
The statement stressed that the Taliban are not in favor of any attacks in Pakistan and will not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s soil to attack the country.
This statement comes following the recent warning of Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, who threatened the Taliban with an “effective response” if it does not stop harboring militants who plot cross-border attacks in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Army Chief’s remarks came after the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, issued a decree declaring cross-border attacks as “haram” (forbidden) and forbade Taliban fighters from carrying out attacks outside Afghanistan.
Last week, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that citizens of Afghanistan were involved in a July 13 attack on the Pakistan Army’s Zhob Garrison in Northern Balochistan that killed 12 Pakistani soldiers.
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) militants.
A recent UN Security Council Monitoring report stated that factions of the TTP militants who are being sheltered in Afghanistan are avoiding control by the Taliban in a bid to merge with Al-Qaeda to expand its influence.
The report raised concerns that TTP could become a regional threat if it continues to have a safe operating base in Afghanistan.
