He also dismissed the possibility of negotiations with TTP.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that under Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, the government could target Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts across the border in Afghanistan.
“If the need arises, there is nothing more important than Pakistan’s sovereignty,” Asif told VOA when asked whether Pakistan would consider cross-border attacks to control perpetrators.
Addressing the legality of potential cross-border attacks, Asif argued that Pakistan must prioritise its own interests. “It is also a violation of international norms when Afghan soil is used to export terrorism, with those responsible receiving protection and safe havens by the people there,” he added.
He also dismissed the possibility of negotiations with TTP.
“There is no chance of a dialogue with them. What do we talk about, we need to have a common ground to speak to them,” Asif said.
He questioned the success of the Imran Khan government’s reintegration of 4,000 to 5,000 TTP militants, asking, “If that experiment was successful, let us know so we can follow suit.”
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months. Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rejects Islamabad’s allegations, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for the “security failure” of Pakistan.
IEA slams Pakistani defense minister’s ‘careless’ comments on cross-border operation
Following the statements of the Pakistani Defense Minister about the possibility of attacks on TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense on Friday slammed the remarks as “careless” which will not benefit any side.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the Pakistani defense minister’s remarks were an attempt to “muddy the waters”, calling on the Pakistani leadership to not allow anyone make such “sensitive” statements.
The Ministry of Defense warned that anyone who violates Afghanistan’s sovereignty under any pretext will bear the consequences.
The ministry emphasized that IEA will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.
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Fazal Mohammad Saber, Chargé d’affaires at the Afghan Embassy in Ashgabat, and Faryal Leghari, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan, met on Saturday to discuss strengthening bilateral trade relations, addressing issues faced by Afghan refugees, and facilitating the visa issuance process for Afghans in Pakistan.
The Afghan Embassy in Ashgabat said in a post on X that both sides emphasized the need to expand relations between the two countries to address ongoing issues.
During the meeting, Leghari described the “good” relations between Kabul and Islamabad as important and pledged to convey the contents of the meeting to officials in her country.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s Ambassador in Islamabad and the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan also discussed bilateral relations between Kabul and Tehran, regional developments, Afghan refugees, and related topics.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held an online meeting to discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan.
In a post on X, Sadiq said that the meeting was constructive, and both sides expressed their concerns about terrorism as a shared challenge and reviewed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and regional engagement with Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan has decided to accept an ambassador from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to Astana in the near future and to upgrade its diplomatic mission in Kabul to ambassadorial level, an Afghan official said on Saturday.
The decision was conveyed by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister to his Afghan counterpart and is being viewed as a significant signal of renewed political engagement between the two countries, Zia Ahmad, Director of Public Communication of Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, said.
Russia is the only country that has formally recognised the IEA government that seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces staged a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.
China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, in a step towards recognition.
Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has expressed openness to allowing an Islamic Emirate-appointed Afghan representative to operate in Berlin, even without formally recognizing the government.
Dorbindt has told Welt TV that he is prepared “to find the appropriate agreement with those responsible in Afghanistan to enable” repatriation of convicted criminals of Afghan nationality.
“If the Taliban (IEA) send Afghan representatives here who may then serve in Berlin, then that can work even without diplomatic recognition. And I would have no problem if we had a contact person here on site for problems we want to solve,” he said.
In August, Germany resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, after pausing deportations following the IEA’s takeover in August 2021, with the support of what Berlin said were “key regional partners”.
The United Nations, however, has criticised the German interior minister’s plan to deport criminals to Afghanistan, citing human rights issues.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has also stated that there would be no relations with the IEA beyond the current contacts.
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