Pakistan threatens Afghanistan with war even as Taliban refuses to act against TTP bases
The Afghan Taliban told the Pakistani delegation that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – also known as the Pakistani Taliban – has no presence in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban also claimed that all members of the TTP leadership had relocated to Pakistan after the Taliban captured Kabul
Kabul: Pakistan has warned of military action inside Afghanistan if the Afghan Taliban continues to provide support to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
However, the Afghan Taliban has denied the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) bases inside Afghanistan.
According to reports in the Pakistani media, a delegation from Pakistan led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif delivered this message during a meeting in Kabul with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister of Afghanistan.
Asif was accompanied by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and other senior officials from the defence and foreign ministries of Pakistan.
Pakistan threatens Afghan Taliban
“Our delegation delivered a very loud and clear message to Afghan Taliban leadership to stop Afghanistan-based militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from launching any spring offensive inside Pakistan and eliminate them from Afghan soil,” a Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.
“In case of failure to stop the TTP from cross-border attacks and does not take any action to eliminate them or expel them from their hideouts, then Pakistan has no other choice except to target their hideouts in border areas inside Afghanistan,” he added.
“We showed them proof of how TTP planned and carried out recent attacks in Bannu and Peshawar from Afghanistan and warned them that any further attack would result in a tough response from Pakistan. We have no other option but to target militants’ hideouts in border areas inside Afghanistan. We have delivered this message to them.”
Afghan Taliban raises concerns with Pakistan
Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob also expressed the Afghan Taliban’s concerns with the visiting Pakistani delegation and accused Pakistan of helping the United States (US) carry out a drone attack that killed then al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul last year.
The Afghan Taliban has alleged that the US launched the drone strike using Pakistani airspace. However, Pakistan has rejected the Afghan Taliban’s allegations and has claimed that the US has not been allowed to use Pakistan’s airspace against Afghanistan.
The Afghan Taliban also told the Pakistani delegation that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – also known as the Pakistani Taliban – has no presence in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban also claimed that all members of the TTP leadership had relocated to Pakistan after the Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan.