———- Khwaja Asif says message needed to be sent that cross-border terrorism has become intolerable
———- Urges Afghan govt to rein in TTP
———- Questions corridor prospects if Pakistan treated like “enemy”
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that his country does not desire an armed conflict with Afghanistan, following Islamabad’s airstrikes on alleged terrorist hideouts across the border.
In an interview with Voice of America (VoA), Asif emphasized, “Force is the last resort. We do not want to have an armed conflict with Afghanistan.”
He cautioned that Pakistan could block the corridor it provides to landlocked Afghanistan for trade with India if Kabul fails to curb anti-Pakistan terrorists operating on Afghan soil, questioning the rationale behind providing this corridor if Afghanistan treats Pakistan as an enemy.
Asif highlighted the surge in terror attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021. He noted that a message needed to be sent that cross-border terrorism has become intolerable. He expressed Pakistan’s desire to convey to the de facto rulers in Kabul that the current situation is untenable.
Regarding Pakistan’s interactions with the Taliban, the defence minister stated that during a visit to Kabul in February 2023, he advised Taliban ministers to not let past “favours” from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) tie Kabul’s hands.
He warned, “If they [TTP] can harm us, then we’ll be forced to [retaliate].” Asif expressed hope that Afghanistan would meet the “single demand” of reining in the TTP, thereby preventing the need for future military strikes from Pakistan.
Asif also alleged that Kabul was allowing the TTP to operate against Pakistan to prevent its members from joining the Islamic State terrorist outfit’s local chapter, known as IS-Khorasan Province. He referred to IS-KP as a major internal security threat for Afghanistan.
Despite China’s silence on the cross-border fighting, Asif dismissed the lack of public support from Beijing, stating, “It’s not necessary that the world must applaud us. What is in our interest is enough for us. We are protecting our interest, irrespective of whether someone applauds us or not.”
Accusing certain elements in the Taliban government for patronizing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates, Pakistan carried out what it termed “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations” in the border regions inside Afghanistan on Monday, in a significant escalation in tensions between the two neighbours.
However, a carefully worded statement did not specify the nature of the operation or mention the air strikes.
Although Pakistan has carried out air strikes in the past inside Afghanistan, notably in April 2022, this was the first time Islamabad officially acknowledged striking inside the neighbouring country.
The strikes were prompted by the March 16 terrorist attack in Mir Ali, North Waziristan in which seven Pakistani soldiers including two officers were martyred. The attack seems to be a tipping point in the relationship that has remained on the edge for months.
A statement issued by the foreign office said the target of the operation was the terrorists belonging to Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which along with TTP, was responsible for multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement officials.
The Taliban government confirmed the strikes but rejected Pakistani claims that those attacks killed any militants.
Condemning the strikes as a violation of sovereignty, Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, claimed attacks killed five women and three children in the eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktika.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to compromise security by using Afghan territory,” Mujahid said in a statement.
“Last night at around 3am, Pakistani planes bombed the houses of civilians,” said the IEA spokesperson. He added that the bombings resulted in the deaths of six civilians, including three women and three children in Paktika, with an additional two women losing their lives due to the collapse of a house in Khost province.
The Paktika province is located near Pakistan’s South Waziristan district while Khost is situated near North Waziristan. “The person named Abdullah Shah, who the Pakistani side claims was targeted in the incident, is in Pakistan, on the other hand, there is a tribe living on both sides of this region who have daily trips and close relationships,” claimed Mujahid.
