Human Rights Minister Riaz Pirzada has stated that there is no evidence to suggest that the Afghan interim government is involved in recent terror incidents in Pakistan. He believes that there are misunderstandings between the two countries.
This statement contradicts the concerns raised by the government and the army regarding the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border terrorism.
Just recently, an attack on a military installation in Balochistan’s Zhob Cantt, and another attack on security forces in Balochistan’s Sui resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers. The Foreign Office identified the perpetrators of the Zhob attack as Afghan nationals.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had previously urged the Afghan government to take concrete measures to prevent the use of its soil for terrorism. Afghan Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also warned Taliban members against carrying out attacks abroad.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir raised the issue, emphasizing that the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorism incidents in Pakistan threatens regional peace and stability and deviates from the Doha Peace Agreement.
Minister Pirzada, however, does not believe that Afghanistan would be disloyal to Pakistan, as he sees the Afghan leadership as being honest with Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, and Pakistan. He highlights the cultural and linguistic ties between the two countries, emphasizing that the blood of Pakistanis and Afghans is the same.
When asked about the increase in the number of Afghan nationals in Swat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the minister explained that they were allowed entry into the country during the previous PTI government’s tenure.
Pirzada also praised the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies, describing them as a powerful war army without which the country would have faced dire consequences.