ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Pakistan has issued a demarche to Afghanistan’s Taliban regime over the alleged use of Afghan soil for a recent terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 11 soldiers, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Eleven soldiers and one civilian were killed when terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a security check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur area on Monday.
According to a press release by the Foreign Office, the demarche was issued on Wednesday afternoon, when the Afghan deputy head of mission was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible terms the vehicle-borne suicide terrorist attack followed by a fire raid on Pakistan military and law enforcement agencies’ posts in Bajaur, carried out by Fitna al Khawarij (or) the TTP,” it said.
The term Fitna al Khawarij is used for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Foreign Office expressed concern that the group, whose entire leadership is based in Afghanistan, “operates with impunity from Afghan soil”.
It re-emphasised that Pakistan had received repeated assurances from the Afghan Taliban regime, “but, regrettably, with no visible or concrete actions”.
“The Afghan Taliban regime has been told to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership,” it said.
The ministry also “categorically informed” the Afghan Taliban that Pakistan “reserved the right to respond and eliminate any khawarij belonging to the group as well as their affiliates”, wherever they were located, “to ensure [the] safety of its soldiers, civilians and territorial boundaries”.
Pakistan often blames the Afghan government for its failure to stop terrorists from using its soil for attacks across the border into Pakistan.
However, the Kabul administration refutes such allegations and instead has stressed that Pakistan should control its security affairs. (PTI)
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