The spokesperson for the Pakistani military, General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said that Islamabad has no issue with the Afghan people; rather, according to him, Pakistan’s main dispute is with the Taliban.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the ninth of Mizan, Chaudhry said: “Whatever we are doing with the Taliban is a path that the Taliban themselves have chosen.”
He accused the Taliban of supporting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and other armed groups, as well as providing them with safe havens. He also questioned the whereabouts of Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the TTP, and Bashir Zeb, the commander of the BLA.
The Pakistani military spokesperson claimed that the Taliban had seized power in Afghanistan by force and, according to him, had provided safe havens to these armed groups. He added that Pakistan has been fighting terrorism for nearly two decades and has suffered significant financial and human losses during this period.
Chaudhry called on Pakistani politicians to fully implement the country’s national policy on combating terrorism, saying that Islamabad would take all necessary measures to protect its security.
He emphasized that Pakistan’s focus is not on the Afghan people, but rather on the policies and actions of the Taliban, which, according to him, they carry out in exchange for financial compensation.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistani fighter jets had carried out strikes on civilian areas in the provinces of Kunar and Helmand the previous night, resulting in civilian casualties. Islamabad, however, says that the strikes targeted only militants opposed to Pakistan.
UNAMA subsequently stated in a statement that 10 civilians had been killed in the airstrikes and that most of the victims were children.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
