Web Desk: Pakistan has rejected allegations by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities linking Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies to violence in the eastern province of Nuristan, calling the claims baseless and saying Kabul has provided no verifiable evidence.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Pakistan had no involvement in clashes in Nuristan or any other internal fighting in Afghanistan. The ministry also dismissed allegations that Pakistan had recruited or trained former Afghan security personnel or facilitated Islamic State or other terrorist groups.
The ministry said the Afghan authorities had failed to provide identities, documents, communications records or forensic evidence to substantiate their allegations.
It also rejected a video circulating on social media, saying the footage did not establish any connection between Pakistan and the reported violence.
The response came after Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said its forces had killed 28 fighters and wounded 32 in Nuristan after an armed group it said included Islamic State members crossed from Pakistan. Kabul alleged that Pakistani militias supported the fighters and that many were former Afghan government security personnel. Reuters said it could not independently verify the Afghan account or casualty figures.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s information ministry said United Nations reports had repeatedly documented the presence and activities of terrorist organizations inside Afghanistan.
It said groups operating from Afghan territory posed a threat to Pakistan and regional security, and urged the Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable action against them rather than attributing Afghanistan’s internal security problems to Pakistan.
The ministry also called on Kabul to honour its commitment that Afghan territory would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country.
The latest exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border terrorism and military activity.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this month, saying it had targeted militant positions. Afghan authorities condemned the strikes and reported civilian casualties, while Pakistan said it had targeted terrorist hideouts.
Pakistan’s latest statement also criticized what it described as the Taliban government’s lack of inclusivity and said its allegations against Islamabad appeared to divert attention from internal political and security challenges.
The ministry did not provide independent evidence for that interpretation, and the Taliban authorities have not publicly accepted Pakistan’s characterization of their allegations.
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