The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Taliban on Saturday rejected Pakistan’s accusations that militant groups are operating from Afghan territory, saying Islamabad should not blame Afghanistan’s rulers for its internal security problems.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was responding to remarks by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to press the Taliban to fulfill their commitments to combat terrorism and eliminate safe havens for armed groups in Afghanistan.
Mujahid said Pakistan’s security challenges have deep-rooted causes spanning many years and are unrelated to the Taliban’s return to power. He said the Taliban remain committed to preventing Afghan territory from being used against other countries and would not allow anyone to use Afghanistan as a base for attacks.
The Taliban spokesman again denied the presence of any “terrorist groups” in Afghanistan.
Speaking at the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting, Dar said terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains one of Pakistan’s most serious security threats and called on member states to hold the Taliban accountable for their counterterrorism commitments.
The Taliban have repeatedly dismissed Pakistan’s allegations that armed groups operate from Afghanistan and insist they will not allow the country’s territory to be used against any other nation.
