ISLAMABAD: Balochistan caretaker Minister for Information, Jan Achakzai alleged Taliban of playing the double game instead of handing over the elements involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan using Afghan soil, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
Achakzai said that the Taliban was not taking the issue seriously and was not handing over those involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
While addressing a press conference on Saturday, Achakzai said that Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban to hand over the terrorists who have been mentioned in the list given by Pakistan to Afghanistan with proof. He noted that the Taliban has not responded positively on the issue.
Jan Achakzai emphasised that Pakistan will go to any extent for its demands, according to Dawn report. He said that Afghan nations were found involved in recent terrorist attacks in Bannu.
He noted that the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist attacks was proven by the Afghan identity cards found by the investigators.
Achakzai said that Afghan refugees with Afghanistan’s identity cards and other documents have become security risks and they will be deported.
He called it the Taliban’s responsibility to stop any group from using Afghan soil to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
Jan Achakzai said, “No Afghan will be allowed to cross into Pakistan without a passport and visa” as the Pakistan caretaker government has no plans to back down from implementing a one-document rule for crossing international borders from both sides, Dawn reported.
Earlier on November 8, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq blamed the recent rise in terrorist attacks on the Taliban and termed it a reaction to the deportation of Afghan nationals, according to Dawn report.
Speaking at a press conference before his departure to Tashkent, he noted that there was a 60 per cent rise in terrorism and a 500 per cent increase in suicide bombings since the Taliban took control of power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
He said, “Pakistan in last two years has lost lives of 2,867 innocent civilians, for which TTP (the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that is operating from Afghanistan, is responsible,” Dawn reported.
“During this time, 15 Afghan citizens were also among the people involved in suicide attacks. Other than this, till now, 64 Afghan citizens were killed while fighting Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies during the counterterrorism campaign,” Kakar said.
He said that Pakistan had hoped that there would be long-term peace in Pakistan after the Taliban took control of power in Afghanistan and strict action would be taken against Pakistan-opposing groups, particularly the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, and “they would be allowed to use Afghan soil against Pakistan.”
He referred to a monitoring report released by the United Nations in July which had a “clear mention of TTP centres in Afghanistan and increase in its activities against Pakistan”.
He said that no action was taken against anti-Pakistan groups despite reassurances from the Taliban of taking action against TTP. (ANI)