The Ministry of Defense reacted to recent comments by Pakistan’s interior minister about the presence of Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the possibility of a raid on them by Pakistan in Afghanistan, saying that the Islamic Emirate is prepared to protect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ministry of Defense in a statement called the remarks provocative and baseless and said that any issues or problems should be resolved through understanding.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Islamabad has the legal authority to act against insurgents’ hideouts “in Afghanistan” if its nation is threatened by such groups.
In an interview with Express News, the Pakistani official said Islamabad may attack the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Afghanistan if Kabul does not dismantle them.
The Ministry of Defense added that there is evidence that TTP hideouts are in Pakistan.
“Such claims by Pakistani officials damage the good relations between the two neighboring and brotherly countries despite the evidence indicating that TTP centers are inside Pakistan,” the statement said.
“The logical solution is that the two sides should sit and solve their problems via negotiations,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a political analyst.
Analysts also said that the remarks by Kabul and Islamabad are concerning.
“Pakistan wants to isolate Afghanistan through any possible way. It sends terrorist groups to Afghanistan and then wants to show to the world that it is not involved in crimes and also wants to show to the world that Afghanistan is a safe haven for terrorists,” said Torialai Zazai, a political analyst.
“Of course, there are some challenges and obstacles in the normalization of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Sayed Zia Hosseini, a political affairs analyst.
This comes as according to a report released by Dawn, the US budget for 2023 has two small provisions for Pakistan, including $15 million for improving security along the Afghan border and an unspecified amount of funds to promote gender equality in the country.
