VANCOUVER, CANADA – Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, says that the sources of his country’s problem of terrorism are in Afghanistan.
Comments from Minister Asif came just a day after the suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed five Chinese nationals. Mr. Asif took to X today, March 27, asserting that while the Taliban are well aware of the terrorist sanctuaries within Afghanistan, they do nothing to stop them.
Mr. Asif also suggested more substantial changes in the country’s border control policies.
Most of the porous border between the two neighbours is already fenced and Islamabad has since last November applied unprecedentedly harsh visa regimes on travellers and traders from Afghanistan.
“The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan differs from conventional international borders, particularly amidst the current circumstances where Kabul’s cooperation, particularly with the Taliban, remains unattainable.”
Mr. Asif said that under current unconventional circumstances, his country does not have to uphold international laws on the border.
“Pakistan is not bound to enforce all international laws and norms along this border.”
Although the Taliban have yet to respond to the Defense Minister’s remarks, they have consistently refuted allegations of harbouring terrorists within Afghanistan, reaffirming their stance on prohibiting the exploitation of Afghan soil against other nations.
The Taliban have even accused Pakistani authorities of failing to ensure security within their own borders, urging them not to scapegoat the Taliban for their internal security lapses.
Pakistan says that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have found refuge in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
This isn’t the first time Pakistan’s Defense Minister has made such statements. During a meeting with his Tajik counterpart, Sher Ali Mirzo, on July 5, 2023, he underscored the shared security challenges faced by Pakistan and Tajikistan as neighbors of Afghanistan.
On July 17, 2023, the Defense Minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to combat terrorism irrespective of the Taliban’s position in Afghanistan. The statement was in response to a social media post by Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, asserting the Taliban have diverged from the Doha agreement with the United States.
“50,000 to 60,000 Afghan citizens have been residing in Pakistan with all rights of refuge for about 40 to 50 years, but conversely, terrorists who have shed Pakistani blood can take refuge in Afghan soil,” Pakistan’s Defense Minister had said.
