Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has said that after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, small arms, left behind in the country, fell into the hands of terrorist groups.

“We believe that when the Americans and NATO left Afghanistan, their small weapons fell into the hands of terrorist groups. Considering the situation in Afghanistan, they had high self-confidence and based on that they waged war against the Pakistani government. This happened during my tenure and we took a very clear stand against terrorist groups, and now Pakistan’s army, intelligence and police are strongly fighting against this challenge,” Kakar said in an interview with Pakistan’s Geo News.

Kakar also emphasized that Afghanistan and Pakistan need defined relations that could benefit both countries.

“We understand the legitimate interest of Afghanistan and we should, but if they cannot understand the legitimate interest of Pakistan, having good relations between the two countries will be a big challenge for a long time,” Kakar said.

The Islamic Emirate rejects Pakistani officials’ claims suggesting US weapons left in Afghanistan fell into the hands of terrorist groups.

“In this regard, we should not be victims of propaganda. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan uses all its capabilities to maintain security in the country and it is important for it to play a role in the security of the region. This depends on resources of the Islamic Emirate. We cannot provide security in Pakistan. They have to step in this matter themselves and prove their effectiveness. We will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against Pakistan,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in the past two years with Islamabad claiming attacks on its country are rooted in Afghanistan.

In November, Pakistan started a crackdown to expel illegal migrants, and so far over 500,000 Afghans have returned home from the country.