Rising Tensions Between Kabul and Islamabad: Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan at the Center of Disputes

The spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the main cause of tensions between Islamabad and Kabul is the presence of safe havens for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Position on the Afghan Taliban

Shafqat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, emphasized in his weekly press conference that Islamabad has repeatedly raised this issue with the Taliban. He stated that for bilateral cooperation to continue, this problem must be resolved.

He added:

“As long as TTP’s safe havens in Afghanistan exist, cooperation between the two countries will not be possible.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also previously urged the Taliban to cooperate with Islamabad in the fight against terrorism rather than supporting terrorist groups.

Taliban’s Response to Pakistan’s Accusations

The Taliban government has rejected these accusations, insisting that Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for its security problems.

The Taliban claim that Pakistan’s security instability is due to its own internal issues and should not be attributed to Afghanistan.

UN Report on TTP’s Presence in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, the United Nations has released a new report confirming the widespread presence of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Afghanistan.

Rising Violence in Pakistan

The year 2024 has so far been the deadliest for Pakistan’s security forces in the past decade, further escalating security tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.