https://arab.news/m2rjm
- Pakistan has in the past said local Taliban commanders operate from safe havens in Afghanistan
- Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly said it would not let militant groups use its soil
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said it was an “encouraging sign” that the Taliban government in Afghanistan had mediated a ceasefire deal between Islamabad and Pakistan’s local Taliban outfit, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying he hoped Kabul would live up to its promise not to allow Afghan soil to be used to launch terror attacks against other nations.
The TTP, which are a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban, have fought for years to overthrow the government in Islamabad and rule with their own brand of Islamic law. In December 2021, the group declared an end to a month-long cease-fire, accusing the Pakistani government of breaching terms, including a prisoner release agreement and the formation of negotiating committees.
Following the breakdown of talks between the two sides, the Pakistan Army resumed operations against the banned outfit early this year, after which the TTP announced the launch of its Al-Badar operation on March 30 to target law enforcement agencies. There has since been a surge in militant attacks, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan has in the past said local Taliban commanders were operating out of safe havens in Afghanistan. The new Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly said, however, that it would not let any group use its soil for militancy.
On Wednesday, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Kabul had mediated talks between the government of Pakistan and the Taliban movement in Pakistan and they had agreed on a ceasefire until May 30.
“Pakistan has been worried about the increase in terrorist activity and we are looking to the regime in Afghanistan to play their role in discouraging increase of terrorist activity,” Bhutto-Zardari said in an interview with CNN, broadcast on Wednesday night.
“And this is indeed an encouraging sign,” he said about the Afghan Taliban mediating talks with the TTP. “We continue to not only monitor this situation, but work on our side to ensure that we can try to tackle the threat of terrorism and hope that the regime in Afghanistan lives up to their international commitment to not allow their soil to be used for terrorism.”
When asked what it would take for Pakistan to recognize the new government in Kabul, the foreign minister said Islamabad would take that decision “in line with the international community.”
“At the same time, we continue to advocate for engagement, and particularly in light of the humanitarian crisis developing in Afghanistan …So we're emphasizing increased humanitarian efforts and also underscoring the importance of ensuring that there isn't a complete collapse of the Afghan economy,” Bhutto-Zardari said.
“Simultaneously, we, in the international community, are emphasizing the importance to the new regime in Afghanistan, that they live up to international commitments, be it vis-à-vis terrorism, or, more specifically, their commitments to women's education and the education of girls in Afghanistan and we feel if they live up to international commitments, it would be easier for us and others to fight the case for increased support for humanitarian efforts and stabilization of the Afghan economy.”