ISLAMABAD: A top Afghan interior ministry official announced on Sunday his government had arrested about 40 Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, over the past year, emphasizing Kabul’s desire to maintain good relations with all neighboring states.
This is the first time any Afghan official has said the authorities in his country have taken action against TTP fighters, who are accused by Pakistan of orchestrating attacks in areas near its western frontier.
Pakistan has recently experienced an increase in militant violence and suicide bombings, which its officials say have been perpetrated by TTP and associated groups based in Afghanistan. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar revealed last month his country had asked Kabul to choose between Pakistan or the militant network earlier this year following a deadly mosque bombing in Peshawar that killed about 100 worshippers.
The issue of TTP militants in Afghanistan has escalated tensions between the two countries, leading to Pakistan announcing the expulsion of unregistered foreigners, mainly Afghans, citing security concerns.
“Today, there is no [militant] group operating in Afghanistan,” Afghan interior ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, told TOLOnews. “There are a large number of Daesh captives with us, and around 35 to 40 TTP [fighters] are imprisoned by us.”
He maintained Kabul wanted positive relations with Afghanistan’s neighbors and would not allow its soil to be used by armed factions to launch attacks against other countries.
He assured the Afghan media outlet any threat to his country’s security would be met with immediate action, with the responsible individuals or groups being identified and arrested.
Pakistan has said it wants authorities in Kabul to hand over militants targeting its security personnel and people in cross-border attacks.
Amid the mounting tensions, the Afghan authorities have invited a leading Pakistani religious politician, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to Kabul, though the agenda of the visit has not been revealed by either side.
Afghanistan claims arrest of 40 Pakistani Taliban, expresses desire for better regional relations
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Afghanistan claims arrest of 40 Pakistani Taliban, expresses desire for better regional relations
- A senior Afghan interior ministry official says there are no militant groups operating in Afghanistan
- The presence of TTP militants in Afghanistan has strained relations between the two neighboring states
Islamabad steps up vehicle checks to boost security as 166,000 cars get electronic tags
- Authorities say over 3,000 vehicles registered in past 24 hours as enforcement intensifies
- Extended service hours introduced to push full compliance with digital monitoring system
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the Pakistani capital have intensified enforcement against vehicles without mandatory electronic tags with more than 166,000 cars now registered, according to data released on Sunday evening, as Islamabad moves to strengthen security and digital monitoring at key entry and exit points.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration introduced the electronic tagging system late last year as part of a broader effort to regulate traffic, improve record-keeping and enhance surveillance in a city that hosts the country’s main government institutions, foreign missions and diplomatic enclaves.
Under the system, vehicles are fitted with electronic tags that can be read automatically by scanners installed at checkpoints across the capital, allowing authorities to identify unregistered vehicles without manual inspections. Vehicles already equipped with a motorway tag, or m-tag, are exempt from the requirement.
“A total of 166,888 vehicles have successfully been issued M-Tags so far, including 3,130 vehicles in the last 24 hours,” the ICT administration said, according to the Excise Department.
Officials said readers installed at checkpoints across Islamabad are fully operational and are being used to stop vehicles still without tags, as enforcement teams carry out checks across the city.
To facilitate compliance, authorities have expanded installation facilities and extended operating hours. The Excise Department said m-tag installation is currently available at 17 booth locations, while select centers have begun operating beyond normal working hours.
According to Director General Excise Irfan Memon, m-tag centers at 26 Number Chungi and 18 Meel are providing services round the clock, while counters at Kachnar Park and F-9 Park remain open until midnight to accommodate motorists unable to visit during daytime hours.
Officials said the combination of enforcement and facilitation was aimed at achieving full compliance with minimal disruption, adding that operations would continue until all vehicles operating in the capital are brought into the system.
The enforcement drive builds on a wider push by the federal government to integrate traffic management, emergency response and security monitoring through technology-driven “safe city” initiatives. Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reviewed Islamabad’s surveillance infrastructure and said reforms in monitoring systems and the effective use of technology were the “need of the hour.”
Authorities have urged motorists to obtain electronic tags promptly to avoid delays and penalties at checkpoints as enforcement continues across the capital.
