Police officers stand guard at the main entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. Photo: File
Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Thursday summoned the Afghan deputy chief of mission to deliver a strong demarche over the February 16 attack in Bajaur that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers.
The attack involved a suicide car bomb followed by a gun attack on a post of Pakistan’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies. Authorities attributed the attack to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistani officials refer to as Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK).
Pakistan strongly condemned the attack, saying such incidents have serious implications for regional security.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesman Tahir Andrabi conveyed Pakistan’s deep concern over the continued operations of the TTP, whose leadership it says resides in Afghanistan and operates with impunity from Afghan soil.
The ministry said Pakistan has received several assurances from the Afghan Taliban, but “no significant or tangible action” has been taken to curb these activities.
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Islamabad told the Afghan interim government to take “immediate, concrete and verifiable measures” against all terrorist groups operating from its territory, including their leadership. It also warned that Pakistan reserves the right to act against elements associated with the FAK and their facilitators “wherever they may be” to ensure the safety of its soldiers, civilians and territorial integrity.
The Bajaur incident has further strained ties between the two countries, with Pakistan stressing that the Afghan authorities must take responsibility for groups operating from its soil.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan will not hesitate to carry out more airstrikes in Afghanistan if Kabul does not take action against terrorists on its soil to ensure peace.
The federal government has consistently raised its voice in international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and has used its soil to launch attacks on Pakistan – a development the UN Security Council attests to.
