Summary Taliban government has a nexus with TTP, BLA, ETIM, ISKP and Al Qaeda, says Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (Zeeshan Yousafzai) – The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan was held in the Russian capital Moscow. Pakistan’s delegation led by Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq participated in the meeting.
Mohammad Sadiq khan raised the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan during the Moscow Format meeting. Addressing the gathering Mr Khan said that more than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis had lost their lives as a result of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan over the past three years. No country could tolerate such a situation, he added...
Over the past few years thousands of innocent Pakistani civilians and security personnel have been martyred in terrorist attacks being carried out from Afghan soil. Planning, financing, support and execution of these terrorist attacks have taken place from Afghan territory and the Taliban government is complicit in all these matters. No responsible state can remain a silent spectator when its security is repeatedly undermined and its people are deliberately targeted, Mr Khan said.
He added that terrorism lies at the core of Afghanistan’s problems and that a nexus exists between the Afghan Taliban government and terrorist groups including the TTP, BLA, ETIM, ISKP, Al Qaeda and their affiliates. These terrorist groups are operating freely on Afghan soil. He further informed the meeting that the situation is exacerbated when external actors and spoilers support proxy groups operating inside Afghanistan to target Pakistan and other countries in the region.
As the Taliban regime approaches five years in power Pakistan is facing the most serious security threats in its history. Responding to Pakistan’s actions against terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, Sadiq said that Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations are conducted in response to terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil. He said these operations are intelligence-based, limited in scope and defensive in nature.
Pakistan’s actions are being taken in exercise of its right to self-defence to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. These actions are directed solely against terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan that pose a threat to the region and beyond.
Pakistan has taken and will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect the safety and security of its citizens. These measures are taken in accordance with international law, based on the principle of necessity and as a measure of last resort. All actions taken by Pakistan constitute legitimate defensive measures against the sanctuaries and bases used for planning, training and launching terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan concluded without the issuance of a joint statement.
