ISLAMABAD: A senior American official acknowledged on Tuesday Pakistan was facing militant threat from armed groups in Afghanistan following attacks on security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province earlier this month, though he denied US forces had left behind any weapons in the war-torn state before withdrawing in 2021.
US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communication John Kirby issued the statement in response to a question about the recent spike in militant violence in Pakistan, with specific focus on one of the deadliest attacks against the army in which 23 soldiers were killed in Dera Ismail Khan on Dec. 12.
According to media reports, the militants who targeted the military post were armed with advanced American weapons, including assault rifles and night vision devices.
“Pakistan remains a key partner in the region,” Kirby said during a news conference in Washington. “They continue to face a viable terrorism threat across that border.”
“But let me remind you,” he continued. “We didn’t just leave a bunch of weapons in Afghanistan. This is a fallacy. This is a farce.”
He reiterated that US forces trained and equipped Afghan National Security Forces during 20 years of American presence in Afghanistan with congressional approval and consultations.
Kirby noted that when the Taliban made advances, Afghan soldiers decided not to fight but simply to lay down their arms.
“The arms that you’re talking about … belong to the Afghan National Security Forces,” he added.
Earlier this year in September, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar also blamed the US for leaving military equipment behind in Afghanistan, saying this had created a new security challenge for Islamabad since it now had to deal with militants with sophisticated weapons.
Pakistan also summoned the top Afghan diplomat to the foreign office to lodge protest against the attack in Dera Ismail Khan.
US says groups in Afghanistan posing militant threat to Pakistan after spike in violent attacks
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US says groups in Afghanistan posing militant threat to Pakistan after spike in violent attacks
- A top American official, John Kirby, describes Pakistan as Washington’s ‘key partner’ in the region
- He says weapons used by militants targeting Pakistani security forces belonged to Afghan army
Pakistan military says ex-PM Khan’s narrative has become ‘threat to national security’
- Military spokesperson responds to Khan’s fresh criticism of Pakistan’s powerful army chief, whom he accuses of denying him basic rights
- Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warns army will “come bare knuckle” if Khan and his party do not desist from attacking military leadership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that former prime minister Imran Khan’s narrative against the armed forces has become a “national security threat,” warning him and his party to keep the army out of political statements.
Chaudhry’s criticism comes in response to Khan’s latest statement, released by his account on social media platform X on Thursday, in which he blamed Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for “the complete collapse of the constitution and rule of law in Pakistan.”
Khan, who was ousted via a parliamentary vote in April 2022, blames the country’s powerful army for colluding with his political rivals to keep him away from power. He blames the military and the incumbent government for keeping him in solitary confinement in a central prison in Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s military and the government have strongly rejected his claims.
“It may seem to you a bit strange coming from me this because that person [Khan] and the narrative he is pushing, it has become a national security threat,” Chaudhry told reporters at a news conference.
“And that is why it is very important that we come clear, without any ambiguity, without any doubt. We need to come clear and we need to say what needs to be said,” he added.
Throughout the press conference, Chaudhry kept referring to the former prime minister as a “mentally ill” person. He played video clips of Indian news channels and Afghanistan’s social media accounts promoting Khan’s statements against the military.
“Why would they not do it? Because sitting in your country, a mindset, a mentally ill person sitting here is saying these things against the military and its leadership,” he said.
The military spokesperson warned Khan and his party against criticizing the military. He added that while the military welcomes constructive criticism, it should be kept away from political statements.
“If someone for the sake of his own self, his delusional mindset and narcissistic thinking attacks this armed forces and its leadership, then we will also come bare knuckle,” he warned.
“There should be no doubt on that.”
Khan, who remains in prison on a slew of charges that he says are politically motivated, continues to be popular among the masses.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has frequently led rallies to demand his release from jail, including one in May 2023 and another in November 2024 that saw clashes with law enforcement personnel.
While the former prime minister continues to remain behind bars, rallies organized by the PTI still draw thousands of people across the country and his party still enjoys a sizable following on social media platforms.
