Daily Times

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Tuesday that his government desired “good relations” with Pakistan and all neighbouring countries, but urged Islamabad to refrain from issuing “provocative and baseless” statements.

The statement comes after the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday categorically asked Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, without directly naming them, to deny safe haven to Pakistani terrorist groups on its soil and end their patronage, while reiterating its intent to crush terrorist groups operating inside the country with full force.

The uncharacteristically strong-worded statement issued at the end of the NSC meeting, which spanned two days, said: “Pakistan’s security is uncompromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of the (sic) Pakistan’s territory.” At the same time, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Afghanistan’s soil continued to be used against Pakistan, despite the commitment made by the Taliban in the Doha agreement.

In a statement released Tuesday, Mujahid said that Pakistani officials had issued statements in recent days that were “highly regrettable”. “The Islamic Emirate is trying its best to ensure that Afghanistan’s territory is not used against Pakistan or any other country,” he said, adding that Kabul was serious about achieving this objective. The Taliban spokesperson added that the Pakistani side was also responsible for taking steps to control the situation and to avoid issuing “baseless and provocative” statements. “The Islamic Emirate attaches importance to peace and stability in Afghanistan. Similarly, we want peace and stability in the whole region and will continue efforts for this objective,” the Taliban spokesman said.