Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, strongly criticized Afghanistan on Saturday, accusing the neighboring country of neglecting its duties as a fraternal nation and disregarding crucial obligations outlined in the Doha peace agreement. Of particular concern was Afghanistan’s failure to prevent the use of its soil for terrorist activities, as committed in the agreement.
The minister’s statement follows a day after Pakistan’s armed forces expressed serious concerns regarding the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned group, enjoying safe havens and freedom of movement within Afghanistan. This matter was highlighted by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) following Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir’s visit to Quetta Garrison, where he received a briefing on a recent attack in Balochistan’s Zhob Cantt. Gen Munir is currently on an official visit to Iran, which began yesterday and is scheduled to last two days.
In the attack that occurred on Wednesday, nine soldiers were martyred, while security forces successfully eliminated five terrorists in retaliation. Tragically, a civilian woman lost her life in the crossfire, and five other civilians sustained injuries, as reported by Zhob District Commissioner (DC) Azeem Kakar.
Taking to Twitter today, the defense minister launched a scathing criticism against Afghanistan, alleging their failure to fulfill their obligations as both a neighbor and a fraternal country, as stipulated in the Doha agreement. He also expressed that the individuals responsible for introducing Imran Khan in 2018 were behind the unfortunate events of May 9, which the nation had to endure. Furthermore, he highlighted their significant contribution to causing immense destruction in every possible aspect over the subsequent four years. The defense minister prayed for Allah’s protection of the sacred land through the sacrifices made by the martyrs.
Pakistan has recently witnessed an upsurge in terrorist activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the termination of the government’s ceasefire with the banned TTP in the previous year’s November.
In addition to the assault on Zhob garrison, militants also targeted security forces in Sui, Balochistan, resulting in the martyrdom of three brave soldiers who valiantly fought during the exchange of fire. Two terrorists were eliminated during the operation. These attacks collectively resulted in the highest single-day death toll reported by the military from terrorist incidents this year, with a total of 12 soldiers lost.
During a weekly news briefing on Wednesday, the Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, emphasized the importance of Afghan authorities fulfilling their commitments to prevent their territory from being exploited for terrorism against Pakistan. Baloch focused on that it was the obligation of Afghan specialists to guarantee that their territory was not used for antagonistic exercises against Pakistan and noticed that Afghan specialists had acknowledged this responsibility on multiple occasions.
