Pakistan PM: US Equipment Left in Afghanistan in Terrorist Hands

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Facts

  • Pakistan's caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has claimed that equipment left behind by the US military following their withdrawal from Afghanistan has reached the possession of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), posing a "new challenge" to the country.1
  • Speaking on Monday, Kakar claimed the equipment included thermal weapons, assault rifles, and night vision goggles, among other possessions. The Taliban claimed control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country.2
  • While there's no definite information on how much equipment was left behind, US defense officials have previously estimated that around $7B of equipment was held by the US-backed Afghan government when it fell to the Taliban.3
  • Despite calling for a "coordinated approach" to tackle the equipment, Kakar didn't directly tie the TTP to the Afghan Taliban. However, Pakistani officials have previously accused militants of traveling from Afghanistan to launch attacks in Pakistan.4
  • Last month, Zabihullah Mujahid – chief spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan – accused Pakistan of "blam[ing] Afghans instead of strengthening the security of their country" while also reaffirming it was neither "in favor" of or responsible for terror attacks within neighboring territories.5
  • The news comes as data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed that militant attacks in the month of August reached their highest levels since November 2014 — with 99 total attacks leaving 112 individuals dead and 87 injured.6

Sources: 1ABC News, 2VOA, 3New York Post, 4RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 5Al Jazeera, and 6DAWN.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by News 18. After Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban for 20 years, the terror group and its affiliated factions have returned the favor by threatening their once-loyal friends. With Kabul helping to facilitate the supply of US weapons to their allies within Pakistan, the security of the nation has been undermined exponentially – pushing Islamabad into a corner where military retaliation is a political necessity.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Khaama Press News Agency. Pakistan continues to portray itself as the victim of Afghan-led terrorism internationally, but in reality, the state continues to engage in border hostility in an unsuccessful attempt to bully Kabul into being subservient to Islamabad's strategic interests. The actions of the TTP are a consequence of Pakistan's failed regional policies and continued military aggression.

Predictions