Afghan-Based Terrorism Killed Over 4,700 Pakistanis in Three Years, Sadiq Tells Moscow Format

More than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives over the past three years as a result of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan told the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan on Monday.

The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format was held in the Russian capital, with Pakistan’s delegation led by Sadiq Khan, who raised Islamabad’s growing security concerns over terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.

Addressing the gathering, Sadiq said more than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis had lost their lives as a result of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan during the past three years, stressing that no country could tolerate such a situation.

“Over the past few years, thousands of innocent Pakistani civilians and security personnel have been martyred in terrorist attacks being carried out from Afghan soil,” Sadiq told the meeting.

He said the planning, financing, support and execution of these terrorist attacks had taken place from Afghan territory and that the Taliban government was complicit in these activities.

“No responsible state can remain a silent spectator when its security is repeatedly undermined and its people are deliberately targeted,” he said.

Sadiq told the Moscow gathering that terrorism lies at the core of Afghanistan’s problems and said a nexus exists between the Afghan Taliban government and terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Al Qaeda and their affiliates.

He said these terrorist groups were operating freely on Afghan soil.

According to Sadiq, the security situation is further exacerbated by external actors and spoilers supporting proxy groups operating inside Afghanistan to target Pakistan and other countries in the region.

As the Taliban regime approaches five years in power, Pakistan is facing some of the most serious security threats in its history, he said.

Responding to concerns over Pakistan’s actions against terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, Sadiq said Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations were conducted in response to terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil and were intelligence-based, limited in scope and defensive in nature.

He said Pakistan’s actions were being taken in exercise of its right to self-defence to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and were directed solely against terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan that pose a threat to Pakistan, the wider region and beyond.

“Pakistan has taken and will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect the safety and security of its citizens,” Sadiq said.

He stressed that such measures were taken in accordance with international law, based on the principle of necessity and as a measure of last resort.

Sadiq said all actions taken by Pakistan constituted legitimate defensive measures against sanctuaries and bases used for planning, training and launching terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan concluded without the issuance of a joint statement.