Pakistan’s army spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says Afghan citizens carried out most of the country’s 28 suicide attacks this year, again accusing the Taliban of supporting armed groups.
Chaudhry told a news conference in Rawalpindi on Friday, 31 July, that evidence had linked Afghan nationals to most of this year’s suicide attacks and bombings.
He said Afghan citizens were also involved in recent attacks in Tank district and Karachi, adding that the attacker in Tank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was an Afghan national.
The military spokesman said Afghan citizens and people with links to Taliban security forces were among those killed or detained during Pakistani security operations. He did not provide specific figures.
Chaudhry said Pakistan’s criticism was not directed at the Afghan people, but that the Taliban was responsible for the incidents.
He claimed that terrorism is the Taliban’s business and that the group used terrorism to preserve its economy and diplomatic relations.
The Pakistani military spokesperson also accused the Taliban of assisting armed groups and said there was no difference between the groups Islamabad labels “Fitna al-Hindustan” and “Khawarij”.
Pakistan uses the term “Khawarij” for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and “Fitna al-Hindustan” for Baloch separatist groups.
Chaudhry attributed the rise in attacks in Pakistan to the activities of Taliban-linked armed groups and to the expansion of Pakistani security operations.
He said Pakistani security forces had carried out 40,348 intelligence-based operations this year and killed 2,084 members of armed groups. According to him, 3,145 security incidents occurred in Pakistan during the same period.
The military spokesperson added that Islamabad had no intention of negotiating with the groups and said their members must submit to the law or face action by Pakistani security forces.
The Taliban and Pakistan have been at odds for months over the activities of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, with the tensions leading to major clashes.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering TTP members and leaders in Afghanistan and allowing them to use Afghan territory to plan and carry out attacks in Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan has repeatedly carried out air strikes in Afghanistan, while the two sides have clashed along the Durand Line.
The Taliban has consistently rejected the allegations and described instability and TTP activity as Pakistan’s internal problem.
