Pakistan seeks Taliban government’s cooperation to curb border attacks.
Referring to the intensification of attacks in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Pakistani Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry stressed in Islamabad that the Taliban government’s cooperation in ensuring security in the border areas is “necessary and urgent.”
He added: “Recent attacks in the border areas have resulted in heavy casualties among Pakistani security forces, and it will not be possible to effectively confront these threats without full political support from the government and the cooperation of neighboring countries.”
The Pakistani official also referred to the ongoing contacts between the Islamabad government and Taliban officials and stated: “We have made great sacrifices for peace in Afghanistan in the past. Now it is time for the Afghan government to play its role and responsibility in ensuring regional security.”
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of sheltering members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allowing them to operate freely on Afghan soil; an accusation that the current Afghan government has always denied.
Chaudhry announced statistics that more than 90,000 Pakistani citizens have been victims of terrorist attacks so far, and the continuation of this situation could threaten not only Pakistan’s internal security, but also the stability of the entire region.