Karachi: Pakistan dismissed on Monday Kabul's assertions that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) did not operate on Afghanistan soil, saying that these remarks are contrary to facts on the ground.
In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Afghanistan's remarks that TTP did not operate on Afghan soil are contrary to the various United Nations (UN) reports corroborating the presence and activities of over 5,000-strong TTP in Afghanistan.
"Over last many years, TTP has launched several gruesome terrorist attacks inside Pakistan using Afghan soil without any retribution from its hosts. The 12th Report of the UN Monitoring Team, issued in June 2021, acknowledges TTP’s 'distinctive anti-Pakistan objectives' and notes its location within Afghanistan 'near the border with Pakistan',” FO said.
Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, without any discrimination is unwavering and unambiguous, the FO said.
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The FO added that Pakistan has been making serious and sincere efforts to facilitate intra-Afghan peace process and hopes that Afghans would seize this opportunity to achieve lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The statement by the FO comes following Kabul's remarks that 'TTP is neither founded in Afghanistan nor operates on our soil'.
"In order to establish lasting peace in Afghanistan and to ensure stability and prosperity in the region, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan calls on all countries, especially Pakistan, to treat all terrorist outfits equally and without discrimination, and not allow these closely linked and organized groups to collude with each other to jeopardize the security and stability of our countries," Afghanistan's Ministry of Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.
The Afghan ministry's statement came after Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that Pakistan also expects the Afghan Taliban to not allow TTP and other elements to carry out any activity which causes harm to Pakistan.