On Wednesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif once again held Afghanistan responsible for the lack of progress in eradicating terrorism and advocated for tighter border controls to address the threat.
Mr. Asif, formerly Twitter, expressed his concerns regarding the escalation of terrorist incidents and stressed the need for significant changes in border management. He asserted that Afghanistan serves as the source of terrorism in Pakistan and lamented the lack of cooperation from Kabul despite Pakistan’s efforts.
دھشت گردی کے واقعات میں اضافہ کے پیش نظر بارڈر کہ صورتحال میں بنیادی تبدیلی کی ضرورت ھے۔ پاکستان میں دھشت گردی کا منبہ افغانستان میں ھے اور باوجود ھماری کوششوں کے کابل اس سمت کوئی پیش رفت نہیں کر رہا بلکہ دھشت گردی کے ٹھکانے انکے علم میں ھونے کے باوجود انکی سر زمین سے پاکستان کے…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) March 27, 2024
The minister highlighted the issue of terrorists operating freely from Afghan territory, even though the Taliban administration is aware of their presence. He underscored the absence of cooperation from Kabul in addressing the terrorism threat.
These remarks followed a series of recent attacks, including assaults on the Gwadar Port Authority complex, a naval base in Turbat, and a suicide attack targeting Chinese workers in Shangla.
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Mr. Asif’s statements were made after attending a special security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting, as reflected in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, expressed concerns about the presence of terrorist sanctuaries across borders and called for a regional approach to counter-terrorism.
A viral video clip on social media showed an Afghan Taliban member, identified as Yahya, assisting Pakistani terrorists based in Afghanistan in planning a cross-border attack on Pakistani troops.
Regarding the complexity of border security challenges, the defense minister emphasized that the Pak-Afghan border differs from traditional international borders. He advocated for the enforcement of international laws and norms along the border to halt the movement of terrorists. Mr. Asif suggested that by doing so, both countries could improve their relations as good neighbors while continuing travel through passports and visas.
Since November 1, Pakistan has required all Afghan citizens to possess valid passports and visas for entry. Additionally, there has been a shift towards a “one document regime” policy, departing from issuing special travel permits to individuals from tribes spanning the nearly 2,600-kilometre border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
However, it remains unclear which specific measures the minister was alluding to to enhance control over cross-border movements.
