Due to ongoing border conflicts between the two countries and an increase in terrorist activity in Pakistan, the level of animosity between Afghanistan and Pakistan has lately risen. The National Security Committee (NSC), the highest civil-military forum, gathered to discuss the rise in terrorist attacks and the country’s worsening economic problems.
The NSC has categorically demanded Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders, without specifically naming them, deny terrorists safe haven on Afghan soil and end their support while reiterating its intention to crush terrorist organizations operating within the country with all available means. The NSC meeting, which lasted two days, was concluded with an unusually forceful statement that read: “Pakistan’s security is uncompromisable, and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of Pakistan’s territory.”
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is not only aligned with the Afghan Taliban but also enjoys safe havens and freedom to operate there, has been responsible for the majority of recent bombings in Pakistan. The NSC came to a consensus on a number of actions to take in response to the deteriorating security situation, which has attracted the attention of several other countries and prompted them to issue advisories for their citizens who are now residing here in Pakistan. The most crucial of all these actions was to make it clear to Afghanistan that it must stop all support for the TTP. “No country will be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists, and Pakistan reserves all rights in that respect to safeguard her people,” the NSC statement read.
Read more: Afghanistan and Pakistan-TTP negotiations
The warning was issued as the two countries’ verbal conflict over TTP and the border dispute continued to escalate. The Taliban in Afghanistan, who mediated the unsuccessful peace negotiations between the Pakistani government and the TTP, now dispute the existence of the terrorist organization there. A Doha-based Taliban official, Ahmad Yasir, made disparaging comments. “It is Afghanistan, which is the graveyard of empires. Never think of a military attack on us, or else you may end up with an embarrassing repeat of the agreement with India,” he tweeted
د پاکستان داخله وزیر ته !
عالي جنابه! افغانستان سوريه او پاکستان ترکیه نده چې کردان په سوریه کې په نښه کړي.
دا افغانستان دى د مغرورو امپراتوريو هديره.
په مونږ دنظامي يرغل سوچ مه کړه کنه دهند سره دکړې نظامي معاهدې د شرم تکرار به وي داخاوره مالک لري هغه چې ستا بادار يې په ګونډو کړ. pic.twitter.com/FFu8DyBgio— Ahmad Yasir (@AhmadYasir711) January 2, 2023
After the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif made an appearance on a talk show and said that Afghanistan was being used for terrorism against his country despite repeated promises from the Afghan government not to do so. “The Pakistani government is in constant touch with Afghanistan in connection with border violations,” he said.
Earlier, in an interview, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had made the comment that Pakistan was considering attacking TTP hideouts in Afghanistan if the Taliban government failed to take action against the terrorist group and turn over the TTP leaders and fighters residing there. The Islamic Emirate’s defence ministry said in a statement that Sanaullah’s words were “provocative and baseless.” It further stated that Afghanistan was “ready to defend its territorial integrity and independence.”
Read more: Pakistan reserves right for cross-border action against TTP: Bilawal