ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday dismissed comments made by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during a visit to India, in which he claimed militant violence in Pakistan was Islamabad’s internal matter, saying Kabul had been repeatedly confronted with evidence of anti-Pakistan groups operating from Afghan territory.
Muttaqi is currently in India, where he met his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi ahead of India’s decision to upgrade relations with Afghanistan by reopening its embassy in Kabul.
The two sides issued a joint statement expressing their intent to resume cooperation in areas such as cricket and health care, and to launch an air-freight corridor to boost bilateral trade and connectivity.
Muttaqi’s visit to India came as Afghanistan accused Pakistan of breaching its airspace and bombing a border town, while Islamabad voiced concern about cross-border militancy from Afghan soil.
The Afghan minister said in India Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for its internal problems, prompting the foreign office to convey its concern over the statement to Kabul’s envoy to Islamabad.
“Pakistan … strongly rejected the Afghan Acting Foreign Minister’s assertion that terrorism is Pakistan’s internal problem,” it said in an official statement.
“Pakistan has repeatedly shared details regarding the presence of Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan with support from elements within Afghanistan,” the statement added, referring to the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatist outfits. “It was emphasized that deflecting the responsibility of controlling terrorism toward Pakistan cannot absolve the Interim Afghan Government of its obligations to ensure peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
The foreign office said it had conveyed its concerns over both Muttaqi’s remarks and elements of the India-Afghanistan joint statement to the Afghan envoy.
It noted that the statement’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India violated UN Security Council resolutions and ignored the sacrifices and sentiments of its residents.
Pakistan also said the country had hosted nearly four million Afghans for decades and would continue to extend humanitarian and visa facilities “in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and good neighborly relations.”
It reiterated that Islamabad wanted a peaceful, stable, regionally connected and prosperous Afghanistan, though it expects Kabul to act against militant networks that threaten Pakistan’s security.
ATTACK ON BORDER POSTS
The foreign office statement was followed by reports of attacks from Afghanistan on multiple Pakistani border posts, which security sources said prompted a swift and strong military response from Pakistan.
According to the officials, Afghan forces opened unprovoked fire across several locations along the frontier — including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral and Baramcha in Balochistan — allegedly to facilitate the movement of militants across the border.
Pakistani security sources said troops stationed at border posts responded “with full force,” targeting several Afghan positions and destroying multiple posts in the ensuing exchange.
They also claimed “dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants were killed,” adding that Taliban forces were seen abandoning their positions with “bodies scattered” in the area.
The officials also noted the cross-border aggression took place while the Afghan foreign minister is visiting New Delhi.
India has not formally recognized the Taliban government, though the two countries seem to be re-calibrating relations amid souring Pakistan-Afghanistan ties and India’s concern over China’s growing influence in the region.
Muttaqi, who is on a week-long trip to India, also visited the influential Darul Uloom Deoband seminary, where he was warmly received by thousands of students and teachers.
