Daily Times

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar Iftikhar Friday said the situation along Pakistan-Afghanistan border is stable and all required measures are in place to control mobility and contain any unwanted movement.

“We have taken every possible step to maintain security at the border and every movement is under control there. But this does not mean that nothing can happen, something can happen, but we are prepared; it is not that we will be unaware of that,” the military spokesperson said while briefing media over evolving situation in Afghanistan and implied national security risks likely to be faced by the country. “The political and military leadership in Pakistan had foresight that something like this (Taliban takeover in Afghanistan) could happen. So, despite whatever has happened on that side (Afghanistan), the situation on the Pak-Afghan border is normal and under control,” he further said, adding that Pakistan’s side of the border is ‘secure’.

The ISPR DG said there was chance of instability on Afghan border, therefore, regular troops of Pakistan Army were deployed to ensure well-managed border security. He said that after August 15, the border had to be closed and reopened several times. “Soldiers of the Afghan National Army sought refuge in Pakistan several times,” he said. “On different occasions, 94 Afghan soldiers crossed over into Pakistan for safe passage, which was granted to them. We treated them in line with military values and made their return possible.”

When asked what steps Pakistan would take if the Afghan Taliban could not control Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the DG ISPR said Pakistan had “always maintained that TTP has sanctuaries in Afghanistan with the help of spoilers”. He noted, however, that the Taliban had said they would not let Afghan soil be used against any other country and “we have to take them at their word.”

The DG ISPR said it was important to understand what India’s role had been in Afghanistan. “I think whatever investment they made in Afghanistan and the kind of clout they developed, it was all done with one intention – to harm Pakistan.”

He said India had “poisoned the minds of the Afghan leadership, military and intelligence” because of which “negative statements” regarding Pakistan were made by Afghan leadership every time Pakistan reached out. “Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) was helping [India’s] Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) cobble together alliances with Daesh (the so-called Islamic State), TTP and terrorist organisations to hurt Pakistan,” he further said. “If they had done their job, they would have been prepared to take on what is happening today so India’s role is extremely negative and I think the international community needs to bring India into the dock,” he added.

He spoke about the recent attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan and said that “comprehensive security measures” are in place. “The ministry of interior is looking after the matter, and if there is a requirement, the security will be beefed up further.”

Shedding light on possible terrorist attacks orchestrated by RAW and other elements along Pakistan’s eastern border, the DG ISPR said there is “nothing to worry about as the army has taken all measures” to keep the land safe. General Iftikhar confirmed that there were undeniable evidences of RAW involvement and its nexus with NDS (Afghan Intelligence Agency) in Dassu, Gwadar and Lahore terrorist attacks.

The DG ISPR said that other than Afghans, Pakistanis have been the biggest target of violence because of the volatile situation in Afghanistan for the last several decades. “Pakistan had to bear an expense of $152 billion to fight against terrorism,” adding that the country sacrificed more than 86,000 lives in the process.

Regarding the future, he added that Pakistan “trusts that the Taliban will take effective measures to ensure TTP does not operate against any country.”

Replying to another question, he said that while there was “always a fear of a civil war” taking place in Afghanistan, the situation is volatile and nothing can be said about it as of now. “However, right now, there is no civil war in Afghanistan,” he said. He said that Pakistan is “hoping for the best” in terms of normalisation of the situation in Afghanistan but would not like to “speculate anything”.