FO rebukes Kabul for denying TTP presence on its soil

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rejected Afghanistan's claim that the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan grou[ did not operate on its soil, declaring it "contrary to facts on ground".

"The assertions of the Afghan side are contrary to facts on ground and various reports of the United Nations, which also corroborate the presence and activities of over 5000-strong TTP in Afghanistan," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The statement came a day after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan said that the militant group was neither founded in Afghanistan nor did it operate on its soil.

"This movement along with other terrorist groups is recognised as the enemy of peace, stability, and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region, and the Afghan government fights against this terrorist outfit like any other terrorist group without discrimination," it said.

Kabul's statement had come in response to Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed who said that Islamabad expected the Afghan Taliban to not allow terrorist groups such as the TTP to carry out cross-border activities inside Pakistan.

The TTP, designated a terrorist group by the United States, has been in disarray in recent years, especially after several of its top leaders were killed by the Pakistan Army who cleared out their strongholds in a 2014 offensive, driving most of the fighters into Afghanistan.

Since March last year, al Qaeda-linked TTP, facing the risk of losing havens on the Afghanistan side of the border if their Afghan Taliban allies make peace there, have unleashed a wave of attacks on the security forces in Pakistan.

Later in August that year, the TTP brought two splinter groups -- Jamatul Ahrar and Hizbul Ahrar -- back into their fold.

Over the last several years, the militant group has launched several "gruesome terrorist attacks" inside Pakistan using its base in Afghanistan and "without any retribution from its hosts".

"The 12th Report of the UN Monitoring Team, issued in June 2021, acknowledges TTP’s 'distinctive anti-Pakistan objectives' and notes its location within Afghanistan 'near the border with Pakistan'.

The United Nations said in a report in July last year said there were more than 6,000 TTP militants based in Afghanistan who could be heading to Pakistan if they lose their refuge.

The TTP also took responsibility for one of the most horrific attacks in 2014 when Army Public School in Peshawar was attacked and 140 were killed. Most were students, and some were as young as 5.

"TTP following its orchestrated reunification with its splinter groups with the help of hostile intelligence agencies, its continued presence in Afghanistan with impunity and its cross-border attacks against Pakistan pose a persistent threat to our security and stability," the Foreign Office said.

The statement observed that Islamabad's commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, without any discrimination is unwavering and unambiguous.

The country has also continued to emphasise the need for meaningful engagement with Afghanistan for addressing security and terrorism issues through effective use of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity.

The APAPPS was established in 2018 to provide a comprehensive and structured framework for institutional engagement in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation between the two neighbours.

Pakistan, the Foreign Office said, has been making "serious and sincere efforts" to facilitate the long-stalled intra-Afghan peace talks for an "inclusive political settlement".

"We hope that Afghans would seize this opportunity for achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan."