US had ‘concerns’ with Pak role over terror safe havens
Pentagon’s press secy John Kirby says US was ‘honest’ about its concerns with Pak for a long time about hideouts along border areas of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON/KABUL: The United States has been “honest” about its concerns with Pakistan for a long time about terrorist safe havens along the border areas of Afghanistan, the Pentagon has said.
Afghanistan and the US have criticised Pakistan in the past for allowing Taliban fighters to cross into Pakistan where they are provided safe havens and receive medical treatment.
“We’ve been very honest about our concerns with Pakistan for a long time, about the safe havens that exist on their side of the border along that spine. And those concerns are still valid today,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.
As Afghanistan’s neighbour, Pakistan has equities and responsibilities with respect to terrorism in that part of the world, Kirby said. “We continue to have candid conversations with Pakistani leaders about our concerns,” he said in response to a question.
“I think it’s important to continue to remind that the Pakistani people, likewise, have been rendered victim by terrorist threats that emanate from those groups and along that same border,” he said.
While earlier Afghan governments claimed that Islamabad sent thousands of militants to fight in the war-ravaged country, Pakistan alleged that Afghanistan harboured the anti-Pakistani group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan - the Pakistani Taliban and also the secessionist Balochistan Liberation Army.
Kirby also told reporters that the United States is within its rights to continue drone strikes inside Afghanistan. “We believe we have the authorities that we need to continue to protect the [US] nation,” he said.
The Taliban have accused the US of violating the withdrawal agreement by continuing to fly drones over Afghanistan and warned Americans against doing that in the future.
“Over-the-horizon operations don’t always have to include unmanned aerial assets, and they don’t... Over-the-horizon doesn’t... even always have to mean aviation,” Kirby said.
Taliban claim to have raided major IS hideout
Taliban fighters raided a hideout of the Islamic State (IS) group north of the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, killing and arresting an unspecified number of militants, a Taliban spokesman said.
Bilal Karimi of the Taliban told The Associated Press that Friday’s raid took place in the city of Charikar in Parwan province. He did not provide more details and his statement could not be independently verified.
Taliban envoy asks UN to let him represent nation
Suhail Shaheen, the UN envoy nominated by the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (IEA) has again urged the world body to recognise him as the representative of the Taliban-ruled country, saying the former Kabul government “exists no more”.
The United Nations last month rejected Shaheen’s appointment as Afghanistan’s representative, extending the tenure of Ghulam Mohammad Isaczai, the permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN appointed by former president Ashraf Ghani.
“The Kabul administration exists no more and has no components of a government while the IEA, having all components of a government, is the only and real representative of the people of Afghanistan,” Shaheen said.