ISLAMABAD (Kubha News) – Asif Durrani, the Special Representative of Pakistan for Afghanistan, spoke on Wednesday at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), highlighting a 65% increase in attacks on Pakistani forces in tribal areas since the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Durrani argued that Afghanistan’s situation has caused greater harm to Pakistan than three wars with India combined.
He pointed out that suicide attacks in Pakistan increased by 500pc in just two years of the Taliban’s current rule in Afghanistan, compared to the past.
“Pakistan expected regional security to improve with the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan,” Durrani remarked. “However, the opposite has occurred, with attacks in Pakistan escalating significantly.”
The Special Representative committed Pakistan to address existing issues, especially regarding the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), through diplomatic channels.
This assertion comes amidst recent claims by Pakistani officials. Previously, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had stated that the Taliban would not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for threatening global security or destabilizing neighboring countries.
The Taliban spokesperson had also criticized Pakistan for its “failure to resolve internal issues and termed such statements as evading responsibility. He highlighted that “the Pakistani Taliban had been active in the region for two decades, emphasizing that this was an internal issue for Pakistan.”
These recent statements by Pakistani officials come amid concerns over security issues originating from Afghanistan.
In a joint statement following the recent visit of the Iranian President to Pakistan.
In the statement, Pakistan addressed security concerns originating from Afghanistan. However, Iran has not expressed such concerns directly.
Iranian officials had previously stated that they had received no evidence linking recent attacks in Iran to actors in Afghanistan.
Following an attack two months ago during a commemorative event for Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in Kerman Shahr, Iran pointed fingers at the Jaish-ul-Adl group, claiming it has a safe haven in Pakistan and coordinated its attacks from there on Iranian soil.