The Taliban in Afghanistan lashed out at Pakistan for alleging that Afghan soil is being used for terror attacks on Pakistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban government, criticised the Pakistan government and their subsequent statement which blamed Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as a source of terrorism in the region.
“We have always maintained that Afghanistan soil will not be used for attacking Pakistan. Why has terrorism only increased in Pakistan? The country should look for answers inside its own borders,” Mujahid said.
Mujahid pointed to Pakistan’s spending in security forces and intel operations and said a large amount of the nation’s budget is being spent to fight terror, which then raises the question of why the nation is not able to contain terror.
“They should not blame Afghanistan for their shortcomings,” Mujahid said, as per a statement accessed by CNN-News18.
Mujahid then pointed out that the 18 Islamic State-affiliated terrorists who were killed in an operation were from Pakistan. He said after a probe into their identities it was proved that they were from Pakistan.
“We did not point our fingers at anyone and continued to secure our own country. Not allowing our soil to be used against our country does not mean that we are responsible for what happens in other countries,” Mujahid said.
He also called for joint efforts to wipe out elements like the Islamic State in the region. The Islamic State’s Khorasan wing is the most active in the western, northwestern Afghanistan region and parts of western and northwestern Pakistan and have attacked armed personnel and civilians in Pakistan and also carried out attacks targeting Taliban and Afghan citizens.
People familiar with the developments said that this is the strongest statement from the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. The statement also comes from the Kandhari side led by Mullah Mohammad Omar.
Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the acting defence minister, also was enraged when Pakistan said it is ready to conduct surgical strikes inside Afghanistan. People within the Taliban, familiar with the developments, told CNN-News18 that such statements will not help Afghanistan-Pakistan ties.
Pakistan is currently facing a wave of terror which has led to loss of hundreds of lives of civilians and armed personnel. The attacks are being led by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistan Taliban and Pakistan alleges that the group can be controlled if Afghan Taliban desires but the Taliban regime in Kabul are not doing anything to stop the chaos.
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