KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, called on the Taliban to take firm action against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), emphasizing that double standards will not be tolerated.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Friday, December 27, Mr. Sharif expressed his country’s desire for stronger ties with Afghanistan, particularly in trade and economic sector. However, he stressed that the TTP operating in Afghanistan and killing Pakistani citizens is “unacceptable.”
“Afghanistan is a brotherly country, and we desire good relations, increased engagement, and enhanced trade and economic cooperation,” Sharif said. “But unfortunately, the TTP is operating from Afghanistan, carrying out terror attacks, and killing innocent people inside Pakistan. This cannot continue,” he added.
“The policy of talks and allowing TTP to operate against Pakistan can’t go simultaneously,” the Pakistani Prime Minister emphasized.
He further said that Pakistan’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies are always ready to combat terrorism and maintain the country’s peace and security.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani military’s spokesman, General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, said that his country has consistently worked towards establishing peace in Afghanistan and has hosted Afghan refugees for a long time. However, despite these efforts, terrorist activities originating from Afghan soil continue to threaten Pakistan.
During a press conference on Friday, the Pakistani military official emphasized that the roots of terrorism are often traced back to Afghanistan, and Pakistan remains resolute in dismantling terrorist networks without compromise.
“The Pakistani military strongly condemns the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups and their supporters,” Chaudhry said. “We remain resolute in our determination to eliminate these hideouts and protect the people of Pakistan,” he added.
The remarks from Pakistan’s top officials come amid rising tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this week.
The airstrikes, which took place on Tuesday night in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, killed and injured over 50 people, including women and children, according to the Taliban.
Pakistan called the airstrikes an “intelligence-based operation,” claiming they targeted TTP hideouts and killed terrorists. However, UN agencies such as UNAMA and UNICEF reported that the strikes killed dozens of civilians, including at least 20 children, in the region.
The Taliban condemned Pakistan’s airstrike as “a violation of international principles and a clear act of aggression.” The regime’s Ministry of Defense said they “will not leave this cowardly act unanswered.”
This was the second time this year that Pakistani fighter jets bombed the border region of Afghanistan. In March, the country targeted militants from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, an affiliate of the TTP, in eastern Afghanistan, killing eight people.
Following the airstrikes in March, the Pakistani Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, told the BBC that his country would “continue to launch attacks against Afghanistan as part of a new military operation aimed at countering terrorism.”
“It’s correct that we have been carrying out operations in Afghanistan, and we will continue to do so. We won’t serve them with cake and pastries. If attacked, we’ll retaliate,” he said.
Tensions have been rising between Islamabad and Kabul since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Pakistan alleges that the TTP, a militant group responsible for dozens of deadly attacks in Pakistan, has sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly called on the Taliban to take action against TTP militants, disarm them, and surrender their leader to Islamabad. However, the Taliban denies the presence of TTP in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid once said that the Afghan Taliban is not responsible for Pakistan’s internal security challenges.
