ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected the reports regarding airstrikes targeting TTP hide-outs in Afghanistan and termed it “utterly baseless and malicious”.
The Spokesperson of Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zehra Baloch issued the statement after Afghan journalists claimed that Pakistani fighter planes targeted the suspected hide-outs of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in two Afghani provinces, Kunar and Nangarhar.
The Afghan journalists also shared fake photos of smoke pillowing out from the mountains in their WhatsApp groups. However, the security officials of Pakistan and Afghanistan have dined the reports of air raids. Furthermore, the TTP militants in Afghanistan also reportedly rejected the claims.
An Afghan-based newspaper also claimed that Pakistan targeted militants in in Salala neighborhood near Gushta district on Thursday morning.
Reacting to the reports in Afghan media, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch said the reports are “utterly baseless and malicious”.
The development is significant as Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terror incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, during the past couple of months after the proscribed TTP declared to end the ceasefire with Pakistan on November 28 last year.
The banned outfit is reponsible of over 100 attacks last year. Most of these attacks took place after August when their peace talks with the government proved fruitless.
Following unusual resurgence of terror activities in the country, the top security forum — the National Security Committee (NSC) — decided that no country will be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists and Pakistan reserves all rights to safeguard its people.
In this 40th meeting of the NSC held in Islamabad, the forum vowed to respond firmly to the resurgent terrorism and declared militants as “enemies of Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, at the weekly media briefing, the spokeswoman appeared lukewarm to news coming from Kabul that the Daesh militants involved in the attack on Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul had been killed and this had not changed Pakistan’s position regarding its Charge’ d’affaires.
“We have seen the reports and are trying to verify them. We will share our position once we have verified this information. Pakistan’s Charge’ d’ Affaires is here for consultations and he will go back when these consultations are complete.”
She reaffirmed that Pakistan was both determined and capable of countering any threats to its peace and security and would continue to be engaged with Afghanistan to discuss all matters of mutual concern, including safety and security along the border.
Read more: Peace in South Asia linked to resolution of Kashmir dispute: Premier Shehbaz
