Afghanistan rejects Pakistan’s claim of asking for money to relocate TTP members
Hamidullah Fetrat, the deputy spokesperson for the caretaker government, has rejected the claims made by Pakistan’s defense minister about the request for money to transfer members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from the border areas to other parts of Afghanistan.
On Thursday, January 2, he issued a statement emphasizing that they had not requested any money for relocating TTP members from the border areas to other parts of Afghanistan.
The deputy spokesperson added, “We reject this claim. The Islamic Emirate did not make such a request to Pakistan. It is unfortunate that high-ranking Pakistani officials are making such statements.”
Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defense minister, recently announced that the Taliban administration in Afghanistan had asked Pakistan to pay 10 billion rupees for the relocation of TTP members from the border regions to other parts of Afghanistan.
He made these comments in an interview with Geo News.
According to Khawaja Asif, Pakistan agreed to the request but asked the Taliban regime to provide guarantees that TTP members would not return to Pakistan.
The defense minister further stated that during his visit to Afghanistan, he had discussions with top officials of the Taliban, including Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the defense minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister, and Mullah Shirin, regarding the activities of terrorist groups, especially the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
According to this Pakistani official, “We will have no choice but to take action, and then you should not complain. You say you are moving them to western provinces, but what guarantee is there that they will not return?”
Previously, Pakistani officials have claimed that Afghanistan has become a safe haven for terrorists, including the TTP. These claims have consistently been denied by the Taliban.
Tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have escalated, particularly after Pakistani forces bombed parts of the Bar Mela district in Paktika province last week. According to the Taliban media, at least 46 people, mostly Waziristani refugees, were killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani newspaper recently reported that 2024 is expected to be the deadliest year for Pakistani security forces in a decade, adding that in the previous year, at least 685 Pakistani forces were killed in 444 attacks by militants.
The ongoing tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan highlights the complex and unresolved issues surrounding cross-border terrorism and security concerns. While Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan of harboring militant groups like the TTP, Taliban strongly denies these claims and insists that the allegations are politically motivated.
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