In a strong message to the government in Kabul, Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to decide whether they will take action against terrorists using Afghanistan’s soil to carry out attacks in Pakistan or hand them over to Islamabad.

In an exclusive interview with Pakistan’s Geo News on Sunday, Kakar said the IEA’s inaction over terror activities against Pakistan is unacceptable.

Terror activities in the country soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, according to a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

These figures represent a sharp increase in militant attacks compared to the corresponding period last year, Geo News reported.

Pakistan blamed Kabul for the recent spike in terrorism in the country and asked the IEA multiple times to stop the cross-border attacks and use of Afghan soil against the neighboring country, Pakistan media reported.

Kakar said he is loyal to the homeland, adding that he does not need any certificate from anyone that he is a “Pashtun”.

To a question about the rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, he said: “My prime role is as a citizen of Pakistan and my loyalty is connected with the state.”

He also said: “All Afghans are equally important for Pakistan,” adding, “Pakistan and Afghanistan should think honestly about what they expect from each other.”

Stressing the need for action against the terrorists, Kakar said the Afghan government knew about the hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country.

He also stated talks with the TTP could not be held at “gunpoint”.

Speaking about the government’s crackdown against illegal foreigners , Kakar said tough decisions had to be taken.

The government, he said, was not deporting registered Afghan refugees but only undocumented Afghan citizens.

“We have adopted a better attitude towards the Afghan citizens,” the premier further said, asking illegal residents to return to their respective countries.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has not yet responded to Kakar’s statements but he has said many times that they will not allow the use of Afghan soil against other countries.

Meanwhile, Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and the Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, said on Sunday in an interview with APP that Pakistan not only prioritizes peace in Afghanistan but also places equal importance on maintaining peace within its own borders.

Addressing the issue of Afghan refugees, he said a significant number of Afghan nationals were implicated in recent acts of terrorism in Pakistan. He said the IEA’s response to this was that Pakistan should address the issue internally.

According to him, Islamabad was taking steps to address the situation by deporting unregistered and illegal Afghan nationals from Pakistan.

However, the hospitality extended to registered Afghan refugees would continue, as it had in the past, he said.

Ashrafi also said that Pakistan maintained active communication with the IEA adding that currently, a delegation from Afghanistan was engaging in discussions with Pakistani officials, APP reported.