KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s defense minister threatened to conduct cross-border strikes in Afghanistan in response to a surge in terror attacks on Pakistani soil.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Voice of America (VOA) on Thursday, June 27, that Islamabad would target terror havens in Afghanistan, arguing such actions wouldn’t violate international law.
“Nothing is more important than Pakistan’s territorial integrity,” Mr. Asif said. “And TTP operates from Afghanistan, but they also have cells and cadres in Pakistan.”
“Isn’t it a violation of international laws for terrorism to be exported to Pakistan from their territory? All the exporters of this terrorism are sheltered by them [the Taliban],” he added.
Pakistan has seen a rise in terrorist attacks since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates, which share ideologies and ties with the Afghan Taliban, have intensified violence against Pakistani security forces and civilians.
A 2023 report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) found a 65% increase in terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan, with the TTP as the primary culprit.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, bordering Afghanistan, have borne the brunt of the violence, accounting for over 90% of fatalities and 84% of attacks last year.
Yesterday, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, leader of a Pakistani political party, highlighted the dire security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming even the police is unable to patrol at night due to the presence of armed men.
Pakistan alleges that militant groups find haven in Afghanistan, receiving training and weapons to launch cross-border attacks and destabilize the region.
Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, estimates that 5,000 to 6,000 TTP militants are sheltering in Afghanistan, with the number rising to 70,000 when including families.
In March, Pakistan launched cross-border airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika and Khost provinces, claiming it targeted and killed terrorists affiliated with TTP.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban regime in Kabul to take decisive action against the TTP and hand them over to Pakistani.
However, the Taliban denies supporting TTP operations in Pakistan and claims no involvement in recent security incidents there. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid previously stated that they are not responsible for Pakistan’s internal security issues.
