ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has vowed to continue Pakistan’s fight against terrorism with full force, accusing Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government of allowing terrorist groups to use its territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.
Addressing an international conference on Pakistan’s evolving counter-terrorism landscape and regional peace and security on Monday, Tarar said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were determined to eliminate terrorism permanently.
The minister said Pakistan had been at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism for decades, paying a heavy price in human lives and economic losses.
More than 90,000 people had lost their lives, while the country had suffered economic losses exceeding $100 billion, he added.
He described Pakistan as a promoter of peace, a supporter of regional security and a country firmly resisting violent extremism. Every Pakistani life sacrificed in the fight against terrorism had contributed to national security and global peace, he said.
Referring to Pakistan’s recent efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran, Tarar said the country had demonstrated its commitment to resolving international disputes through diplomatic engagement.
He credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir with contributing to the process, which, he said, had received international recognition.
Tarar said Pakistan had consistently worked towards regional stability, particularly in Afghanistan. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan would benefit the entire region by promoting trade with Central Asia, attracting foreign investment and strengthening economic cooperation and regional connectivity, he added.
He said Pakistan had taken part in negotiations in various parts of the world, involving the deputy prime minister, defence minister and national security adviser, to convey its commitment to peace and prosperity to the interim Afghan government, particularly for the benefit of the Afghan people.
However, these diplomatic efforts had failed to produce the desired outcome, he said. Pakistan had hosted more than four million Afghan refugees for over four decades and borne a substantial burden, but its hospitality and generosity had not been reciprocated, he added.
The minister maintained that Pakistan continued to face terrorist attacks originating from safe havens across its international border with Afghanistan.
Citing United Nations and independent assessments, he said more than 6,000 Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists were estimated to be present in Afghanistan, while the total number of terrorists there was estimated to exceed 20,000.
Since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, the TTP had continued to use Afghan territory for recruitment, training, logistical support, planning and attacks against Pakistan, he said.
Tarar said Pakistan had been compelled to respond to attacks because it could not allow terrorists to exploit Afghan territory to target its citizens and security forces. Pakistan’s preference for peace, he stressed, should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness.
Reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, he also drew attention to the situation of the Afghan people, particularly women, who, he said, had been deprived of educational opportunities and economic empowerment and excluded from the productive workforce.
He argued that the Afghan regime’s ideology promoted violent extremism and was incompatible with Islamic teachings. A regime that restricted the fundamental rights of women and minorities while encouraging extremism posed a serious challenge to regional peace, he added.
The minister said Pakistan had made every possible effort to bring the interim Afghan government towards a common understanding, but the latest round of negotiations had failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Discussing the public response to terrorism in KP, Tarar referred to his recent visit to Kohat district, where terrorist attacks had occurred, and his meeting with injured people receiving treatment at the Combined Military Hospital.
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He also cited the 38th United Nations Monitoring Report, which, according to him, documented the relocation of nearly 2,000 TTP terrorists and their families from border areas to locations deeper inside Afghanistan.
Questioning the prospects for regional stability while Afghanistan continued to provide safe havens to terrorists, Tarar said the federal government, the Foreign Office under Senator Ishaq Dar’s leadership and the military shared a common position on eliminating terrorism. “The people of this region deserve better. The people of this region deserve prosperity, welfare, and security,” he said.
Expressing confidence in Pakistan’s ability to overcome the challenges, the minister said the country would draw on its determination, resolve and inner strength. Pakistan was fully aware of the difficulties it faced and possessed the capacity to address them, he added.
Referring to Marka-e-Haq, Tarar said Pakistan had demonstrated its ability to defend itself and emerge victorious when a war was imposed upon it.
He said the country had also shown its ability to facilitate peace through diplomacy, reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to a region where security, stability and prosperity could prevail.
