Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that under Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, the government could target Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts across the border in Afghanistan.

“If the need arises, there is nothing more important than Pakistan’s sovereignty,” Asif told VOA when asked whether Pakistan would consider cross-border attacks to control perpetrators.

Addressing the legality of potential cross-border attacks, Asif argued that Pakistan must prioritise its own interests. “It is also a violation of international norms when Afghan soil is used to export terrorism, with those responsible receiving protection and safe havens by the people there,” he added.

He also dismissed the possibility of negotiations with TTP.

“There is no chance of a dialogue with them. What do we talk about, we need to have a common ground to speak to them,” Asif said.

He questioned the success of the Imran Khan government’s reintegration of 4,000 to 5,000 TTP militants, asking, “If that experiment was successful, let us know so we can follow suit.”

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months. Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rejects Islamabad’s allegations, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for the “security failure” of Pakistan.

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The world is coming to realize that the ّIslamic Emirate is legitimately in charge in Afghanistan, something that Russia acknowledged long ago, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said.

“Of course, [the world] is becoming aware of this fact. And Russia was ahead of the curve here. Better late than never,” Kabulov said when asked by TASS news agency if the international community is aware of the fact that it has to do business with the IEA as a government.

The Afghan crisis will be the focus of the upcoming UN meeting in the Qatari capital Doha, scheduled for June 28.

Commenting on Russia’s expectations ahead of the meeting, Kabulov said: “In our opinion, this meeting will be useful if it contributes to reviving close and constructive cooperation between the international community and the Afghan authorities, primarily for resolving the social and economic problems the country and its people are facing.”

The Russian diplomat also said he would “most definitely” talk to the IEA delegation on the sidelines of the coming meeting in Qatar. 

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Former US President Donald Trump in a presidential debate on CNN hit out at his successor and current President Joe Biden over America’s global stature which he said is like a “third world nation” today and said Washington is not “respected” anymore.

Trump termed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as the “most embarrassing day” in the country’s history.

“Throughout the entire world, we are not respected anymore, they don’t respect our leadership, they don’t respect United States anymore. We are like a third-world nation, trying to weaponization of his election, going after his political opponent. All of the things he has done, we have become like a third-world nation. It’s a shame,” Trump said.

Trump said his administration also sought to get US troops out of Afghanistan, but with dignity.

“I was getting out of Afghanistan, but we were getting out with dignity, with strength, with power,” Trump said.

US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed in August 2021 under the Biden administration.

In the debate, Biden defended his pullout of Afghanistan.

“The idea that he did something significant for the military, when he was president they were still killing people in Afghanistan – he didn’t do anything about that,” he said.

“When he was president we still found ourselves in a position where you had a notion that we were this safe country.

“The truth is, I’m the only president this century, that doesn’t have any – this decade – that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world, like he did,” Biden said.

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