FO condemns terrorists operating with impunity from Afghan soil to carry out attacks in Pakistan
Tensions and terror incidents have significantly increased in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region where Pakistani security forces are continuously being targeted from across the border.
At least seven soldiers were martyred on April 14 when “terrorists operating from Afghanistan” ambushed a military convoy near the border in the general area of Isham, North Waziristan District.
“Pakistan has repeatedly requested Afghan Government in last few months to secure Pak-Afghan border region. Terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity to carry out activities inside Pakistan,” Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.
Pakistan “strongly condemns terrorists operating with impunity from Afghan soil to carry out activities in Pakistan. This is detrimental to our efforts of maintaining peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.”
The statement added that the two countries have been engaged for past several months through institutional channels for effective coordination and security along our long shared border. “Unfortunately, elements of banned terrorist groups in the border region, including TTP, have continued to attack Pakistan’s border security posts, resulting in the martyrdom of several Pakistani troops.”
At the same time, Pakistan also asked Afghanistan government to secure the Border region and “take stern actions against the individuals involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan, in the interest of peace and progress of the two brotherly countries.”
Pakistan also reaffirmed respect for Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and said the country “will continue to work closely with the Afghan Government to strengthen bilateral relations in all fields.”
Pakistan’s foreign ministry statement came after the Taliban government accused Pakistan of launching cross-border military raids inside Afghanistan, which reportedly caused dozens of civilian casualties.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has not confirmed the airstrikes, and Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul denied the country had carried them out.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid urged Pakistan “not to test the patience of Afghans on such issues and not repeat the same mistake again otherwise it will have bad consequences.”