ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, Asif Ali Khan Durrani, has called upon the Afghanistan’s Taliban administration to either surrender the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants to Islamabad or eliminate the threat posed by this group in the region.
Speaking at a session held by the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, Durrani acknowledged the challenging relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan but commended the efforts of the Afghan government in not conspiring with India, Pakistan’s longstanding adversary.
Durrani highlighted that negotiations are underway in Afghanistan to end TTP attacks, although he refrained from disclosing specific details about these discussions. He emphasized the expectation that the Taliban should play a role in bringing peace to the border regions shared by Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“For now, they do not blame the Afghan government for the TTP attacks, but at the same time, Pakistan expects the Taliban to contribute to peace in our border regions,” stated Durrani. He further stressed that Pakistani Taliban members who have sought refuge in Afghanistan should either be repatriated to Pakistan or neutralized to ensure regional stability.
Pakistan Concern Over Militants Obtaining US Abandoned Weapons
Additionally, Durrani raised concerns about militants obtaining modern weapons from abandoned US stockpiles in Afghanistan, adding to the complexities of the security situation in the region. He said that Pakistan is supporting the idea of initiating dialogue and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
In recent developments, Pakistan has initiated a crackdown on Afghan refugees, with authorities requesting over a million refugees to leave the country by the end of the month.
