By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Monday blamed sanctuaries and freedom of action for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in neighbouring Afghanistan as one of the main reasons for the country’s security challenges.
The assessment was made at a meeting of top army commanders, where they were briefed about the internal security situation, the military’s media wing said in a statement.
The 258th Corps Commanders’ Conference, chaired by army chief General Asim Munir, noted that “the sanctuaries and liberty of action available to the terrorists of the proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in a neighbouring country and the availability of latest weapons to the terrorists” were major factors affecting Pakistan’s security, it said.
This was the second time in less than a week that the military has made such an assertion. On Friday, it said it had “serious concerns” over the safe havens and freedom of action for the TTP in Afghanistan after an attack on a garrison in Balochistan province.
“It is expected that the interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in the Doha agreement,” it had said, referring to a deal between the United States and the Afghan Taliban that paved the way for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan last month.
The deal also included guarantees from the Taliban that they would prevent militant groups including al Qaeda from using Afghan territory to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants who carry out cross-border attacks on its soil, especially in its western regions bordering Afghanistan. It has also seen a surge in violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.
In response to Pakistan’s concerns, a Taliban spokesperson in Qatar said on Saturday that Kabul was committed not to allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any other country.
“We have made it clear time and again that we are committed not to allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against any other country because stability in the region and in Afghanistan is essential as we are intending to make Afghanistan the hub of regional trade and prosperity,” Suhail Shaheen told Dawn newspaper.
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