Amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Pakistani military has made alarming accusations against the Afghan Taliban, claiming their direct involvement in aiding the infiltration of terrorists and smugglers across the border. In discussions with journalists, ISPR's head, Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhary, stated that Pakistani posts are subjected to gunfire from the Afghan side, providing terrorists the opportunity to cross over.
According to General Chaudhary, "Border management is a mutual responsibility, yet it is the opposing posts that initiate firing. Amid this chaos, the vehicles of terrorists and smugglers move across unchecked." He emphasized that some attacks are so coordinated that gunfire is first directed at the posts, and then infiltration takes place concurrently.
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When questioned about the lapse in monitoring despite military and Frontier Corps presence, the ISPR chief clarified that posts have been established every 15-25 kilometers along Pakistan's 2,500-kilometer-long border. He stated, "Even the most advanced nations cannot completely seal their borders, as seen in the US-Mexico case."
Claim of neutralizing 206 terrorists
A Pakistani official revealed that since November 4, over 4,910 intelligence-based operations have been executed, resulting in the neutralization of 206 terrorists. Since January, more than 67,000 operations have occurred, with the majority, over 53,000, undertaken in Balochistan.
Accusation of Taliban supporting terrorist organizations
General Chaudhary also accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to transition into a 'state structure' post-2021 and backing various terrorist factions, including TTP, BLA, Al-Qaeda, Daesh, and multiple groups from Central Asia. He noted Pakistan's proposal to Afghanistan for a third-party monitoring mechanism to create a reliable system to curb terrorism along the border.
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Recent weeks have seen escalating tensions between both nations, with Pakistan asserting that a ceasefire is achievable only if the Afghan Taliban curtails TTP activities on their soil, a move that is yet to transpire.
