Pakistan Accuses Afghanistan of Sheltering Militants

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Facts

  • Pakistan's National Security Council stated on Monday that "No country will be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists..." after meeting to discuss recent attacks in the country.
  • Following the meeting, Pakistani defense minister Khwaja Asif alleged that armed groups using Afghan territory to launch cross-border attacks against neighboring Pakistan.
  • The remarks came after the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, ended its ceasefire agreement with Pakistan and resumed attacks in the country, particularly in areas that border Afghanistan.
  • In a TV interview, the minister stated that militants were launching attacks from Afghan territory, in violation of agreements between the two countries. Pakistan is "in constant touch with Afghanistan in connection with border violations," he added.
  • In response, an Afghan spokesman rejected the "baseless statements and provocative assertions" of the minister. Pakistan is considering launching attacks into Afghanistan against the TTP if the government fails to hand over militants to Pakistan.
  • The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the TTP to escalate their actions in Pakistan. The statement from Islamabad comes less than two weeks after a dozen TTP prisoners were killed after a standoff with Pakistani special forces at a counterterrorism center, among other attacks.

Sources: Dawn, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, and Geo.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Washington Post. Pakistan has failed its citizens by supporting the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, as these would-be "strategic assets" to Pakistan have now become strategic threats. Afghanistan's support of the TTP should come as no surprise, and Pakistan is scrambling to correct course after this blunder. After the fall of Kabul, the Taliban is turning their eyes toward Islamabad next.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Minute Mirror. There is no solution to this problem without the involvement of Afghanistan, and the Pakistani government has made it clear that they are tirelessly engaging diplomatically with the Afghanistan government. As both the Afghan and Pakistani governments have indicated their support for a productive path forward, progress will continue so long as neither side changes course and chooses violence over peace.