Afghanistan warns Pakistan of ‘consequences’ of cross-border attacks

Islamabad:

Afghanistan responded strongly to Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent warning to Kabul that it would send troops across the border to target militants, warning Islamabad of “consequences”.

Enayatullah Khuwarizmi, interim spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said in a statement that Khawaja Asif’s comments were irresponsible and an attempt to “confuse the situation.”

“Pakistan’s leadership needs to ensure that no one makes such sensitive statements on sensitive issues,” Khwarizmi said on X, adding that such statements are not in anyone’s interest.

“Those who violate our borders under any pretext will be held liable for the consequences,” he warned.

In a recent interview Voice of AmericaThe defence minister blamed the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for attacks in the country and said the terrorist group’s leaders were hiding out in Afghanistan and threatening Islamabad with cross-border attacks to remove them.

Also read: Khawaja Asif says Pakistan has right to retaliate against terror attacks from Afghanistan

But Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Friday did not defend the defence minister’s remarks and said Pakistan respected Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Pakistan has always maintained that it respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. In that sense, it is crucial that Afghanistan takes effective action against terrorist groups that are carrying out terrorist incidents and attacks on Pakistani soil,” Baloch stressed at his weekly press conference in Islamabad.

“We also urge Afghanistan to ensure that it eliminates the harbor of terrorism that undermines regional stability and expect Afghanistan to fulfil the commitments it has made to the international community, especially Pakistan,” she added.

Islamabad accuses Kabul of providing a base for TTP militants who carry out attacks in Pakistan, a charge Afghanistan denies.