• Says terrorists from Afghanistan carry out attacks in the country, vows to eliminate them ‘at any cost’
• Pays tribute to soldiers martyred in cross-border attacks
• Says anti-militancy plan to be placed before cabinet for firm, collective decision
PESHAWAR: With ties between the two neighbouring countries already strained, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday issued a stern message to Kabul, saying Afghanistan must decide whether it stands with Pakistan or the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“Today, I want to give a clear message to Afghanistan to choose between Pakistan and TTP,” PM Shehbaz said during a visit to Bannu, where he was accompanied by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Omer Bukhari.
The prime minister said terrorists entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and, together with the outlawed TTP, carried out attacks that martyred soldiers, brothers, sisters and ordinary citizens. He added that Pakistan was willing to maintain relations with Afghanistan, but if Kabul chose to side with and support the terrorists, then Pakistan had nothing to do with the interim Afghan government and the terrorists would be eliminated at any cost.
He said he had met the army chief and Peshawar Corps Commander, and that he had a plan which would be placed before the federal cabinet. All decisions, he stressed, would be taken collectively in the country’s interest. “The cabinet will decide and all the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting will be implemented immediately. We will not sit in peace until the militants are eliminated,” the prime minister warned.
He said it was time to take political and administrative measures to maintain peace and that decisive action was the need of the hour, adding that the entire nation wanted solid steps to restore security.
PM Shehbaz paid tribute to the officers and soldiers who had been martyred while performing their duties, saying their sacrifices were for the country’s peace. “Imagine what their parents, brothers and sisters are going through. These terrorists martyr them and take refuge in someone’s house,” he said, adding that the time had come to eliminate the militants.
The issue of militants using Afghan soil against Pakistan has long strained ties between the two countries, with Islamabad repeatedly urging the interim Afghan government to stop allowing its territory to be used for attacks.
Differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan are primarily centered on security and border disputes. Pakistan has made terrorism its central concern in ties with Kabul, citing a sharp rise in attacks by the banned TTP and other militant groups operating from Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, Pakistan emphasised the seriousness of the threat posed to regional peace and stability by Afghanistan-based terrorist groups, calling it a common challenge that required collaborative efforts. “Groups like Fitna al Khwarij represent a common threat to the peace and stability of our region, necessitating collective action to counter their malign influence,” the Foreign Office spokesman had said at a media briefing.
During a meeting in January held in Peshawar, political leaders urged Field Marshal Asim Munir that the military engage with Afghanistan to address Pakistan’s internal security problems. The army chief, however, said the Afghan interim rulers had failed to heed repeated warnings in the past. “They don’t listen to us,” sources quoted the Field Marshal as telling politicians who had called for formal or informal dialogue with the interim Afghan government.
Earlier, during a visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in April, Afghan acting premier Mullah Hasan Akhund assured that Afghanistan’s territory would not be used against its neighbours.
