By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a stark ultimatum to Afghanistan’s interim government on Saturday, demanding it choose between fostering ties with Pakistan or supporting the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as he visited the northwestern city of Bannu reeling from a deadly ambush that killed 12 soldiers this week.
The attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, where security forces also killed 13 militants, was part of a broader wave of violence that claimed the lives of 19 soldiers in the province, including seven more in Lower Dir on Thursday. The military reported eliminating 35 militants, labeled as “khwarij” — a term rooted in Islamic history for an extremist sect — in operations from September 10 to 13.
Speaking at Bannu’s Combined Military Hospital, where he visited wounded troops, Sharif accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants responsible for cross-border attacks. “Terrorists come from Afghanistan and, together with the TTP, these khawarij join forces to martyr our soldiers, our brothers and sisters, and ordinary citizens,” he said. “Today I want to send a clear message to Afghanistan: Choose one of two paths. If they wish to establish relations with Pakistan with genuine goodwill, sincerity, and honesty, we are ready for that. But if they choose to side with terrorists, we will have nothing to do with the Afghan interim government.”
Tensions between the neighbors have escalated since a series of suicide bombings two years ago, which Pakistan attributed to TTP fighters operating from Afghan soil. Islamabad has accused Kabul of enabling these attacks, a charge Afghan authorities reject, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are domestic. The rift widened as Pakistan began expelling undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, further straining ties.
The recent violence included the South Waziristan ambush, where security forces killed 13 militants, and an operation in Lower Dir on Thursday that left seven more soldiers dead and 10 TTP fighters neutralized, according to the military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR reported that 35 militants, labeled “khwarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij,” were killed in operations from September 10 to 13. Pakistan uses “Fitna al Khwarij” for TTP terrorists and “Fitna-al-Hindustan” for Balochistan-based groups, alleging Indian involvement in regional instability.
Sharif, joined by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Peshawar Corps commander, attended funeral prayers for the fallen soldiers, whom he called “true heroes of the nation.” He vowed their sacrifices would not be in vain and announced a federal cabinet meeting to address the rising militancy. “Pakistan desires peaceful relations with all its neighbors,” Sharif told reporters, “but we will not allow hostile groups to sabotage peace.”
“Pakistan desires peaceful relations with all its neighbors,” Sharif told reporters, “but we will not allow hostile groups to sabotage peace.” He emphasized that Pakistan would combat militant violence with or without Afghan cooperation, pledging to eliminate terrorism “with the help of our security forces.”
The ISPR emphasized that “intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed physical involvement of Afghan nationals” in the attacks, urging Afghanistan’s interim government to prevent its territory from being used against Pakistan. The military is conducting “sanitization operations” to eliminate remaining militants, with the ISPR stating that soldiers’ sacrifices “further strengthen our resolve” to eradicate terrorism.
Pakistan has faced a surge in militant activity, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the TTP ended a ceasefire in November 2022 and vowed to escalate attacks on security forces. Recent operations have seen security forces kill 14 militants in Mohmand, four in North Waziristan, one in Bannu, and four in Balochistan’s Mastung district. Last month, 50 terrorists were neutralized in Balochistan.
Sharif praised the resilience of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people, describing them as standing “like a wall fortified with lead” alongside the military. He rejected “politicization and misleading narratives” on terrorism and warned that those facilitating terrorists or acting as “proxies for India” would face consequences.
At the hospital, Sharif and Munir received a security briefing and reiterated the government’s commitment to implementing “all necessary administrative and legal measures” to counter terrorism. Pakistan continues to grapple with threats from groups like the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army, recently designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department.
Sharif expressed condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers and lauded the security forces’ bravery, emphasizing Pakistan’s resolve to eradicate terrorism. He also announced he would soon convene a federal cabinet meeting to discuss measures against militancy, reiterating that “the enemies of Pakistan cannot impose their destructive ideology on our nation.”
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