ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday accused Afghanistan of not doing enough to prevent militant violence in his country, despite being aware of the hideouts of armed groups on its territory, highlighting the need for stronger border controls between the two neighboring states.
Asif’s statement came just a day after a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing five Chinese nationals working on Dasu hydropower project along with their local driver.
Pakistani officials have blamed a banned network of armed groups, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), for the uptick in militant violence in the country while claiming that its leadership has found sanctuary in Afghanistan.
“Given the rise in terrorist incidents, there is a need for fundamental changes in the situation at the border,” the defense minister said in a social media post. “The source of terrorism in Pakistan is in Afghanistan, and despite our efforts, Kabul has not made progress. Instead, terrorists continue to operate from Afghan soil despite [the local authorities] being aware of their hideouts.”
Asif said the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was unique compared to traditional global borders which people previously crossed without travel documents like visas and passports.
“In the current situation, where cooperation from Kabul is not available, Pakistan needs to enforce all international laws and customs at the border to stop terrorist traffic,” he continued. “This way, both countries can develop relations like good neighbors. People can continue to travel [between the two countries] by using passports and visas.”
Last year, Pakistan launched a massive deportation drive against illegal immigrants, mostly Afghan nations, after a massive surge in suicide attacks that claimed hundreds of lives.
Pakistani officials also maintained that more than half of the total number of suicide bombings in the country in 2023 were carried out by Afghan nationals.
The authorities have taken the DNA samples using the remains of the suicide bombers who targeted the Chinese nationals to investigate the recent act of militant violence in Pakistan.
