In harsh and unprecedented remarks, Pakistan's army spokesman, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, labeled the Taliban government, along with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), as an "Indian proxy group." He warned that Kabul would pay a "heavy price" for its "support of terrorism."
The senior Pakistani military official told the media on Monday that Afghan territory is still being managed by "non-state actors." He specified that the TTP and BLA groups are using safe havens inside Afghanistan to carry out deadly attacks against Pakistan's national security.
Mr. Chaudhry emphasized that Islamabad has only one specific demand from the Taliban government: an immediate cessation of all support for these groups. He warned, "If the Taliban government does not take practical action to prevent the movements of these groups, it will suffer a heavy price."
These accusations and warnings were voiced a day after a heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Taliban border forces at the Torkham crossing and the Angoor Adda area in South Waziristan. During these clashes, which lasted for several hours, one Pakistani civilian was killed, and the Torkham crossing was temporarily closed.
This is the strongest stance taken by the Pakistani army against the Taliban since the group's return to power in Kabul and signifies a peak in tensions between the two sides. Pakistan's Ministry of Information had previously called the fight against cross-border terrorism Islamabad's "red line."
The Taliban government has consistently denied the presence and activities of TTP militants on Afghan soil. However, Islamabad has repeatedly demanded serious and verifiable actions from the Taliban to curb these groups, a request that Pakistan says has so far gone unanswered.
These tensions could have widespread consequences for regional security and the fragile situation in Afghanistan. Relations between Kabul and Islamabad, once considered close, have now reached their lowest point.
Source: Pakistani Media
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