Following the Pakistani Defense Minister’s remarks about the possibility of operations against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan, former prime minister Imran Khan’s Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) on Friday condemned the remarks, saying that Pakistan should not interfere in other countries.

“We don’t allow any interference in our country, so we shouldn’t interfere in any other country,” members of the united opposition in the National Assembly stated in an emergency meeting.

While condemning Asif’s rhetoric, opposition leaders stated that such statements endanger not only the “brotherly” relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan but also regional peace.

“Our ties with India are based on rivalry, and now we are trying to treat Afghanistan similarly. We cannot afford further escalation of the conflict and disorder,” Asad Qaiser, a senior member of PTI, remarked.

He warned that launching attacks inside a neighbouring country would risk pushing the entire region into war.

Omar Ayub, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, highlighted that “even major world powers have faced challenges in Afghanistan, which has always been considered a geostrategic focal point in the region”.

“India is leading many terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Why didn’t the defence minister remark about launching attacks inside India?” he questioned during a media talk outside parliament. 

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.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense in a statement, however, slammed the remarks as “careless,” warning of consequences if attacks take place.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), in a press conference on Saturday, also said that IEA will not allow incursion into Afghan soil.

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US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has said that President Joe Biden’s claim that no American troops were killed in Afghanistan under his administration was not true.

Biden said in the presidential debate with former US President Donald Trump that he was the only president in a decade that “didn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.”

 “That is a lie, Mr. President,” McCaul said. “I’d like to remind President Biden of the 13 servicemembers that died on his watch during a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, during his deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

He noted that it was the deadliest day for the United States in Afghanistan in over a decade.

“And it will remain a stain on America and American foreign policy for generations. And it happened under Joe Biden’s watch,” McCaul said.

“Shame on him. Shame on him for his heartless comments that disregard the ultimate sacrifice of so many Americans under his tenure as Commander-in-Chief,” he added.

Trump in the presidential debate on CNN also hit out at 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.

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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.

IEA slams Pakistani defense minister’s ‘careless’ comments on cross-border operation

Following the statements of the Pakistani Defense Minister about the possibility of attacks on TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense on Friday slammed the remarks as “careless” which will not benefit any side.

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the Pakistani defense minister’s remarks were an attempt to “muddy the waters”, calling on the Pakistani leadership to not allow anyone make such “sensitive” statements.

The Ministry of Defense warned that anyone who violates Afghanistan’s sovereignty under any pretext will bear the consequences.

The ministry emphasized that IEA will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.

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