ISLAMABAD: A former deputy chief of the Afghan National Army has confirmed that the Afghan Taliban, financially backed by India, are supporting terrorist groups carrying out attacks inside Pakistan.
Lieutenant General Sayed Sami Sadat, who served as Deputy Chief of the Afghan Army in 2021 under the former Afghan government, made the remarks in a video comment circulating on social media and regional media platforms.
“It is absolutely true that any group carrying out attacks against Pakistan is being supported by the Afghan Taliban. They are providing these groups with assistance and backing,” Sadat said.
“It is also true that the Afghan Taliban maintain close relations with India and receive financial support from it. These funds are then provided to groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) to facilitate attacks inside Pakistan,” he added.
Sadat is a former Afghan military officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general and served as Deputy Chief of the Afghan Army in 2021 before the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government.
According to publicly available biographical information, he currently serves as chairman of the Afghanistan United Front, a political organisation that opposes Taliban rule.
The revelations are significant because they come from a senior former Afghan military official. The remarks appear to reinforce concerns that Pakistan has repeatedly raised regarding the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups involved in cross-border attacks.
India’s support to Afghan sanctuaries
Islamabad has long maintained that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist organisations operate from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan and receive support from India that enables them to launch attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Pakistani authorities have also pointed to the involvement of Afghan nationals in many terrorist incidents and operations inside Pakistan.
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Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained amid a rise in terrorist violence along the border.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly urged the Taliban authorities to take action against groups using Afghan territory to plan and execute attacks inside Pakistan.
Security analysts say Sadat’s remarks are likely to intensify debate over regional security dynamics, particularly as concerns grow over cross-border terrorism and its implications for stability in South Asia.
