Pakistan Lodges Two Demarches With Afghanistan Amid Rising Border Tensions

Pakistan has categorically rejected allegations by the Afghan Taliban regime linking Islamabad to recent violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, calling the claims “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.”

Pakistan
By PPC Desk
Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban claims linking Islamabad to violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province
Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban claims linking Islamabad to violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province
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Pakistan has lodged two diplomatic protests with Afghanistan within four days over escalating border tensions, alleged cross-border infiltration and the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups seeking to carry out suicide attacks inside Pakistan, the Foreign Office said.

Responding to a question from PPC Digital, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider said the Afghan diplomatic representative was summoned on September 23 and handed a demarche over Islamabad’s security concerns. Pakistan delivered another demarche on September 26 over the latest developments, including attempted cross-border infiltration and terrorist threats emanating from Afghan territory.

Pakistan Rejects Afghan Taliban Claims Over Nuristan Violence

Pakistan has categorically rejected allegations by the Afghan Taliban regime linking Islamabad to recent violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, calling the claims “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.”

Pakistan rejected claims of involvement by its security forces or intelligence agencies in internal clashes in Nuristan or elsewhere in Afghanistan, including accusations of recruiting or training former Afghan security personnel or facilitating Daesh or any other terrorist group operating in Afghanistan.

The response came after Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry issued a statement regarding recent operations against insurgents in Nuristan province, saying the fighters were supported by Pakistan and had entered Afghanistan from Pakistani territory.

Pakistan said “not a shred of evidence” had been produced to substantiate its involvement, including identities, documents, communications, forensic evidence or independent verification.

It also dismissed a video being circulated on social media in support of the Afghan claims, saying it showed only a few unarmed individuals who were not properly dressed or equipped and appeared to have been arrested in what Pakistan described as a “pre-planned video shoot” by the Afghan Taliban regime.

Pakistan said the presence and activities of terrorist groups inside Afghanistan were well documented, including in successive reports by the United Nations and other international organisations.

“Attempts to manufacture a Pakistani connection cannot obscure the reality that these terrorist groups continue to find sanctuary and permissive environment for growth in Afghan territory,” the statement said.

Pakistan said it was “particularly ironic” for the Afghan Taliban regime to accuse Islamabad of supporting terrorism while terrorist organisations operating from Afghanistan continued to pose a direct threat to Pakistan and regional security.

It called on the Afghan Taliban regime to take credible and verifiable action against terrorist organisations operating from its territory and fulfil its commitments that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country.

Pakistan also said such claims by what it called the “non-inclusive, non-representative Taliban regime” reflected an attempt to externalise internal dissent and the oppression of women, children and minorities.

Tensions Between Pakistan and Afghanistan

The latest exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan following recent border skirmishes and a wave of terrorist attacks inside Pakistan over the past 10 days.

Islamabad has repeatedly maintained that terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory are behind attacks inside Pakistan and has called on the Taliban authorities to prevent Afghan soil from being used against the country.

Tensions have intensified further in recent days following cross-border security incidents, drone incursions and Pakistani operations against terrorist targets, adding to an already strained relationship between Islamabad and Kabul.

PPC Desk
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