Pakistan expected “sincere cooperation” from the interim Afghan government to address the “challenge of terrorism,” according to the Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday.
The remarks come just one day after Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stated that Kabul should not be blamed for the suicide bombing in Peshawar that occurred in the city of Peshawar.
A powerful explosion struck a mosque in Peshawar’s Red Zone on January 30, killing between 300 and 400 people, the majority of whom were police officers. 101 people were killed when the suicide bombing destroyed the prayer hall’s inner roof and wall.
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned organization, initially claimed responsibility for the attack. Although earlier reports suggested that it might have been the work of a local faction of the banned group, it later distanced itself from it.
According to TOLO News, the Afghan FM stated that “the country’s soil will not be used against other countries” and that “there is no terrorist base in Afghanistan.”
We ask Pakistan’s ministers not to shovel snow onto other people’s roofs. They ought to think about the issues they face in their own country. Muttaqi continued, “We advise them to investigate the Peshawar explosion in great detail.”
During a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan had read Muttaqi’s statement.
She stated, “Pakistan hopes that Kabul would live up to the commitments made to the international community in this regard.” She added, “Pakistan expects sincere cooperation from the interim Afghan government to address the challenge of terrorism.”
She stated, “We would expect our neighbors to do the same as we do the loss of innocent lives.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan both face terrorist threats. We must strongly resist those who employ violence against law enforcement agencies and innocent citizens.
“We remain steadfast in our determination to eradicate terrorism and ensure the safety of every citizen. We reject accusations and finger-pointing; However, we would like to reiterate our expectation that no nation would permit terrorism against Pakistan to be carried out on its territory.
She stated, “It is time to fulfill the commitments made to the world and Pakistan with sincerity and good faith with concrete actions.”
Terrorism has returned to the country over the past few months, particularly in KP and Balochistan. There has been an increase in terrorist attacks across Pakistan, which are thought to have been planned and directed by TTP leaders based in Afghanistan.
Over 100 attacks were carried out by the TTP last year, most of which occurred after August, when the group’s peace talks with the Pakistani government began to falter. The TTP has ideological ties to the Afghan Taliban. The TTP officially ended the ceasefire on November 28 of that same year.
