Won't allow use of Afghan soil against anyone: Taliban tell Pakistan

Pakistan's special envoy for Afghanistan visited Kabul following recent attacks on security forces in his country

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Taliban on Thursday told Pakistan that Kabul will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against another country.

Taliban's interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani, who arrived in Kabul on Wednesday to discuss the latest security situation in the region.

"[Muttaqi] said that Afghans will never harm anyone; we will allow none to use our soil against another country; & our efforts will always be directed at working for regional security & stability," Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesman for the interim Foreign Ministry, said in a tweet.

Durrani visited Kabul after Islamabad urged the Taliban to take action against terrorists using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan.

The US State Department also warned the Taliban against using its territory from being used as a "safe haven" for terrorist attacks.

"I will say we have made very clear that we believe the Taliban has the responsibility to prevent – Afghanistan from being used as a safe haven for launching terrorist attacks," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing on Monday.

Last week, 12 Pakistani soldiers and seven militants were killed in two attacks and subsequent operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan that further increased tension between the two neighbors.

This February, Pakistan's top defense and intelligence officials warned of action against Kabul if terrorists involved in cross-border attacks are not eliminated, hinting at the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), a faction of the Taliban which has attacked military and civilian installations across Pakistan over the past decade.

Taliban officials have denied TTP presence in Afghanistan, saying all of its leadership has relocated to Pakistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021.

Tensions between the two neighbors have risen after the Taliban removed border fencing at some points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border last year, resulting in an increase in TTP terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Previously, Pakistan was believed to have some influence over the Afghan Taliban, and their return to power was seen as a major strategic victory for Islamabad. However, relations between the two countries have deteriorated amid rising attacks in Pakistan.

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