Pak Army chief expresses serious concern over use of Afghan soil by TTP militants

ISLAMABAD, Feb 4 : Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the use of Afghan soil by the Tehreek-e-Taliban militants for terrorist activities against the country and asked Afghanistan’s interim Taliban-led government to take concrete action against them.

Gen Munir made the comments while presiding over the 267th Corps Commanders’ Conference held at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi, the army said.

The conference expressed serious concern over the use of Afghan soil by ‘Fitna Al Khawarij’ (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) for terrorist activities against Pakistan and urged the Afghan government to take concrete action against these groups.

The term “Khawarij” refers to a group of Muslims who broke away from mainstream Islam in the 7th Century.

The commanders also underscored the need to accelerate people-centric socio-economic development initiatives in Balochistan, recognizing the urgency of countering externally driven narratives of exclusion, the army said.

“No one will be allowed to disrupt peace in Balochistan and nefarious designs of foreign-sponsored proxies attempting to mislead and radicalize the youth of Balochistan will be decisively thwarted with the unwavering support of the people of Balochistan,” the meeting resolved.

Terror attacks have increased in Pakistan, which regularly blames the Afghan government for its inaction to tackle the TTP threat. Relations have deteriorated between Islamabad and Kabul over the issue of militancy by the TTP.

The forum undertook a comprehensive review of the regional, and internal security landscape, assessing the full spectrum of threats. The prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary was also discussed, the army said.

It said the participants also took serious note of the recent statements from the Indian military leadership, terming them “irresponsible and detrimental to regional stability.”

Gen Munir said that the Pakistan Army remains fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Any misadventure against Pakistan will be responded with the full and resolute force of the state,” he said.

The meeting also condemned the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people. (PTI)