ISLAMABAD: On Sunday, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the recent allegations made by Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister, calling them a diversionary tactic aimed at blaming Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai had claimed that terrorist groups like Daesh were running training camps in Pakistan to train militants for destabilizing operations in Afghanistan.
In a statement shared on X, Asif refuted these claims, emphasizing their baseless nature. He also pointed to a United Nations report which documented that numerous terrorist organizations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), al-Qaeda, and ISIS, are active within Afghanistan’s borders.
“The report highlights that Afghanistan continues to be a central hub for terrorist recruitment, particularly for ISIS, which has maintained its presence in the region throughout 2024,” Asif stated. He urged the interim Afghan authorities to take swift action to dismantle terrorist infrastructure within the country and prevent Afghan soil from being used for cross-border attacks.
