ISLAMABAD-UNS: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has criticised the Afghan Taliban regime over its continued failure to address terrorism originating from Afghan soil, saying the issue remains the primary obstacle to normalising relations between the two countries.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry said the latest remarks by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson reflected a misguided approach and an unwillingness to address the root cause of deteriorating bilateral relations.
It said the Taliban leadership continued to blame Islamabad’s policies while ignoring Pakistan’s longstanding concerns over terrorist sanctuaries operating from Afghan territory.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position, the ministry stressed that terrorism remained a red line and the security of Pakistani citizens was non-negotiable. It warned that Pakistan would not tolerate cross-border terrorist sanctuaries threatening its national security or allow its people to remain targets of attacks originating from Afghanistan.
The statement maintained that Pakistan reserved the right to take all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to eliminate threats to its national security, regardless of their origin.
It further urged Kabul to recognise that the responsibility for preventing the use of Afghan territory for terrorism rested squarely with the Afghan Taliban regime.
The ministry said shifting blame, offering hollow assurances and questioning Pakistan’s security policies would neither resolve the crisis nor absolve the Taliban leadership of its responsibilities.
It reaffirmed that Pakistan remained determined to protect its citizens and would not allow its national security to be held hostage to what it described as the Afghan Taliban’s inaction, evasions and misplaced priorities.
