Afghanistan Peace CampaignTaliban has warned Pakistan against carrying out military operations inside Afghanistan while rejecting Islamabad’s accusations that Afghan territory is being used by militant groups to launch attacks across the border.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghanistan would defend its sovereignty if Pakistan carried out strikes inside the country.
“If Pakistan invokes Article 51 to violate the sanctity of Afghan territory, Afghanistan has the right to defend its country, and we will do so,” Al Arabiya quoted Mujahid as saying, warning of a “crushing response” to any violation of Afghan sovereignty.
Mujahid said Pakistan should address its security challenges internally instead of blaming Afghanistan, arguing that unrest involving the TTP and Baloch groups predates the Taliban’s return to power.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in Afghanistan and allowing them to use Afghan territory to plan and carry out attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban rejects the allegation.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021 and escalated into weeks of war earlier this year.
More than 2.5 million Afghans, many of whom spent decades living as refugees in Pakistan, have been expelled or left voluntarily over the past three years, according to UN data, as part of a deportation drive by Islamabad.
He also welcomed a larger Saudi role in mediating between Kabul and Islamabad, saying the Kingdom is a friend of both countries and can play a “positive role” in resolving their differences.
With inputs from agencies