KT - Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told the U.N.
General Assembly on Friday that his country is under threat from “externally
sponsored terrorism” and urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to crack down on
militants operating from their soil.
Sharif said groups including the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its
Majid Brigade have staged “heinous attacks” inside Pakistan. He cited the
hijacking of the Jaffar Express train earlier this year, when 400 passengers
were held for weeks before security forces rescued them.
“As an immediate neighbor and
brotherly country of Afghanistan, Pakistan has a direct stake in a peaceful
Afghanistan,” he said. Sharif added that Islamabad has provided humanitarian
assistance and promoted economic recovery in Afghanistan, but stressed that
Kabul’s interim rulers “must uphold human rights, including women’s rights, and
take effective action against terrorist groups.”
Sharif’s remarks come as
the Taliban in Afghanistan have repeatedly denied links with militant groups
such as the TTP, calling it an internal matter for Pakistan. The Taliban insist
Islamabad is responsible for its own security and say Afghanistan will not
allow any groups to use its territory to threaten neighboring countries.
