According to reports, Pakistan, once seen as a clandestine mentor to the Taliban, is now expressing growing frustration towards its former ally. Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif made a strong statement, accusing the Taliban-led Afghanistan of providing a safe haven for terrorists who have been carrying out deadly attacks on Pakistani forces.

As per reports, Minister Khwaja Asif delivered one of the most forceful rebukes to date, highlighting the role of the Taliban in sheltering terrorists involved in acts of violence within Pakistan. This accusation underscores the increasing discontentment of Pakistan towards Afghanistan's alleged support for such elements.

“Pakistan would not tolerate this,” thundered Aasif as he warned the Taliban for providing refuge to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists.

He said that Afghanistan is not fulfilling the right to be a neighbor and brother country and is not abiding by the Doha agreement.

“50/60 lakh Afghans have 50/50 years of asylum in Pakistan with all the rights,” Asif said.

“On the contrary, the terrorists who shed the blood of Pakistan can find refuge on Afghan soil. The situation cannot continue any longer. Pakistan will use all its resources to protect its land and citizens,” the minister said, in a stark warning to the Taliban.

As per reports, Pakistan had previously issued a warning to Afghanistan earlier this year, but the Afghanistan Taliban downplayed the threats. This statement comes in response to the Pakistan army's recent warning to Kabul, urging them to prevent terrorists from using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan.

On July 13, Balochistan witnessed two separate terrorist incidents, resulting in the highest single-day toll of Pakistani troops in the province, with 12 soldiers losing their lives. Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a newly-formed militant group, claimed responsibility for one of the attacks. These incidents are part of a series of actions carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a distinct militant group that aligns itself with the Afghanistan Taliban.

Earlier this week, Pakistan's army chief, Gen Asim Munir, issued a warning to the Afghanistan Taliban, emphasizing that his forces would respond effectively if they failed to prevent the harboring of militants plotting cross-border attacks from Afghanistan. The government in Kabul, under Taliban control, did not immediately respond to the statement made by the Pakistani general.

The TTP has gained confidence since the Afghanistan Taliban assumed power in August 2021 following the US withdrawal. In January this year, the TTP carried out a suicide bombing in Peshawar, resulting in the death of at least 100 people.

Reports suggest that some Taliban fighters associated with the TTP have brought weapons, including M-16s and sniper rifles with night-vision thermal goggles, which were left behind by the US.

Additionally, hundreds of TTP fighters, released from a Kabul prison by the Taliban after their resurgence, have returned to Pakistan to participate in combat. The TTP, consisting of thousands of fighters primarily from the tribal belt, is the largest and most lethal among several insurgent groups operating in Pakistan.

Image source: Siasat