MoI says no militant groups including TTP in Afghanistan

The Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Monday rejected Pakistan’s claims of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members being moved to the north of the country and said neither TTP nor Daesh were present in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Interior denied claims that they had an agreement with Pakistan to transfer TTP members to northern Afghanistan and said such reports are being made by “biased circles”.

Abdul Matin Qane, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior said at a press conference in Kabul on Monday that no group, including the TTP, exists in Afghanistan, nor does the Islamic Emirate allow them to enter Afghanistan and operate against the interests of other countries.

Qane also said that Daesh has lost its foothold in the country.

“We do not allow any group to operate in Afghanistan against the interests of any country, against the neighbors and other countries, because it is the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and they [terrorist groups] are not present. Naturally, all of them are negative propaganda and the issue of immigration is a separate issue,” said Qane.

He said the problem of Afghan refugees in Waziristan and other regions of Pakistan will be resolved through international organizations and this matter has nothing to do with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

“We have always pledged to the whole world that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against any country and no group will operate here. Of course, there is some propaganda that it is Daesh or something, but you saw that Daesh was suppressed in such a way that we will not see them again; of course they are in some places, but they have no visible presence,” said Qane.

Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about the existence of TTP in Afghanistan. Last week, Pakistan’s ministry of interior said it had reached an agreement with the IEA to move TTP members from the border areas to the north of Afghanistan.

The IEA has denied having made such an agreement.

Experts have meanwhile said that Pakistan’s claims raised concern among residents in the north. They said any ambiguous actions by the ruling authorities of Afghanistan in this regard could cause a rise in tensions along ethnic lines and lead to instability.