Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday acknowledged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was standing firmly with the Centre in combatting terrorism, hailing that they were on the “same page”.
He made the remarks on the floor of the National Assembly while responding to an emotionally charged speech by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Noor Alam Khan, who had criticised both the federal and provincial governments for rising terrorism in the province.
“We did not have the KP government’s cooperation for a very long time, [but] now we have [it]. They are standing firmly with the Centre and the armed forces against terrorism. There is no doubt,” Asif declared.
“It is a good thing that we are all on the same page,” he added.
The defence minister said, “I agree with them that a solution to this issue is needed, but it is not the centre’s responsibility; it is partially, but all provinces have to contribute to this with their resources.”
Asif also strongly responded to suggestions that Islamabad hold a dialogue with Kabul, highlighting that Pakistan had already done so multiple times but to no avail.
“We have done so. I did three rounds myself,” he said, recalling his 2023 visit to Kabul and the meetings held in Turkiye and Qatar last year between the two sides.
The minister pointed out that Pakistan engaged in talks with the Afghan Taliban government while terrorism was ongoing in the country.
“Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia played a role but no solution came out of it,” he stated. “The Kabul government is not ready to give us a guarantee that no attacks will be carried out against Pakistan from their soil.”
Asif affirmed that the Centre stood with the KP government, noting the sacrifices rendered by the soldiers, including the recent attack on a police post in Bannu that claimed the lives of “22 people”.
“Our loss is a common loss,” he said, observing that KP and Balochistan witnessed more terrorist attacks since they shared the border with Afghanistan.
“We have made all possible efforts. You cannot even imagine,” he asserted, recalling that talks as long as 19 hours have been held with Kabul.
“They are ready to verbally agree, but not in writing,” Asif added.
Asif contended that JUI-F’s Alam was only talking about divisions on ethnic lines.
In his remarks, Alam had decried that the people of KP were living a miserable life because of regular terrorist activities.
He claimed that when the people of KP tried to escape their homes, they were mistreated by the Punjab police and were seen as criminals even if they had families with them.
Alam had also criticised the PTI-run KP government, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the PML-N’s Punjab government and the Centre for not doing enough to protect the lives of KP’s residents.
‘Afghanistan fighting Hindutva’s war’
During his remarks, Asif reiterated Islamabad’s stance that the Kabul authorities were acting as a “proxy of India”.
“After India’s defeat in Marka-i-Haq last year, thanks to God, they would not even dare to enter into a direct confrontation with us. So, the entire war now is being fought with Pakistan through Kabul,” he said.
Asif stressed, “Their proxies were carrying out terrorism on our soil and terrorist activities were taking place here because of their facilitation. Despite that, we spoke to them, but no result came of it.
“Now, there may be efforts underway for some communication through some third country. I cannot say anything conclusive about it.”
The minister emphasised, “We have tried fully with sincerity. We have negotiated via three countries, not just one, […] we pleaded with them to stop supporting them (terrorists) and their facilitation, and abandon their bases and camps, but they do not come to it.
“So there remains only one alternative to this […] there will be open war then,” he warned.
The defence minister said Afghanistan was “fighting the Hindutva’s war against us”, terming the Afghan Taliban a “proxy of the Hindutva”.
“Whether it is the eastern border or the western, the enemy is the same. There is no difference between Delhi and Kabul at the moment,” Asif remarked.
He added, “We surely do wish that there was a difference, that they speak with us and enter into some kind of arrangement so that this terrorism can be stopped.
“But if they are not ready, then we will do to Kabul what we have done to Delhi,” he declared.
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