Daily Times

The head of the Afghan diplomatic mission in Pakistan was summoned on Tuesday by the Foreign Office (FO) and conveyed four demands including extradition of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose group carried out the recent terrorist attack in Bannu.

Two civilians lost their lives while 10 others, including three security forces personnel, were injured in a suicide attack in Bannu’s Bakka Khel area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday. The military’s media wing added that a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber, affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and later identified as an Afghan national, targeted a security forces convoy.

The representative of the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan was called on Tuesday into the foreign office to issue a strong protest over Sunday’s suicide attack. This was the 16th suicide attack in Pakistan which was carried out by the Afghan national.

Pakistan conveyed its serious concerns to the Taliban diplomat over the repeated use of Afghan soil. Media reports said that the Afghan representative was conveyed the four key demands. Those demands include full investigation into the Bannu attack and stern action against perpetrators and abettors. Pakistan also demanded immediate “verifiable actions” against all terrorist groups and their sanctuaries, according to sources. Similarly, the Afghan Taliban representative was told to apprehend Hafiz Gul Bahadar and hand him over to Pakistan. Islamabad also reiterated its demand from the Kabul regime to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan. Tensions have been running high between the two countries for months over the issue.

Despite repeated demands, the Afghan Taliban were reluctant to neutralise the TTP. Instead, the Afghan Taliban government has still been pushing for the revival of talks between Pakistan and the TTP.