The Foreign Office on Friday expressed concerns over the “advanced weapons” being used by the terrorists in Afghanistan to attack Pakistan and its security agencies. Commenting on the recent clashes along the Pak-Afghan border, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said that the weapons left in Afghanistan during the US withdrawal require global attention as they had “fallen in the hands of Afghan terrorists”. “These modern weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists in Afghanistan who are using these [weapons] to attack Pakistan and its security agencies,” said FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a weekly briefing. She said the situation needs international attention and called upon all stakeholders to assume the responsibility that they have in this regard. The FO spokesperson also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eradicate the menace of terrorism. The spokesperson said Pakistan and the United States have a robust dialogue on multiple areas including on security and counter terrorism matters. She said Pakistan has been communicating with the US and other partners both inside and outside the region about Pakistan’s security concerns. She hoped our friends and partners would understand the security compulsions that Pakistan has in this region including the threat of terrorism and the security situation because of the difficult and aggressive posture of our eastern neighbor.
In response to their statement, National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson John Kirby said that the US did not leave behind any military equipment for terrorist organisations in Afghanistan. He blamed the Afghan forces for abandoning military equipment when the Taliban took over the country.
Speaking about the recent terrorist attacks on two Pakistan Army check posts located near the Afghanistan border in Chitral which martyred four soldiers, Baloch said Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to the Afghan authorities on the matter.
“The Interior Ministry and institutions concerned can provide the details on the situation in Chitral,” she added.
The FO spokesperson added that the Pakistan-Afghan border should be a border of peace, adding that the Torkham border was closed in view of security concerns.
Baloch said that they are negotiating with the interim Afghan government regarding this.
