Pakistan on Sunday categorically rejected allegations of the interim Afghan Taliban government seeking to link Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies to alleged violence in the Nuristan province, dubbing the claims “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.”
In a statement, the Information Ministry also rejected allegations that Pakistani agencies had recruited or trained former Afghan security personnel or facilitated Daesh or any other terrorist group operating in Afghanistan. “Not a shred of evidence has been produced to substantiate Pakistan’s involvement—no identities, documents, communications, forensic evidence or independent verification,” it said.
Earlier, the Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Defense had alleged several groups affiliated with Daesh, along with “elements of subversion,” had crossed the Durand Line into the Kamdesh district of Nuristan with the support of Pakistani militias. The Taliban claimed security forces had killed 28 of the so-called infiltrators and captured 32 others alive, while the rest had fled back across the Durand Line.
The Information Ministry statement further rejected a video circulating on social media of the alleged infiltration, saying it merely showed a few unarmed individuals in what appeared to be a pre-planned video shoot by an Afghan Taliban regime “well known for lies and fabricated claims.” It recalled several reports by the United Nations and other neutral international organizations documenting the presence and activities of various terrorist groups inside Afghanistan, saying attempts to manufacture a Pakistani connection could not obscure the reality that these groups continued to find sanctuary and a permissive environment for growth on Afghan territory.
“It is particularly ironic for the Afghan Taliban regime to accuse Pakistan of supporting terrorism while terrorist organizations operating from Afghanistan continue to pose a direct threat to Pakistan and regional security,” it said, reiterating a call for the Taliban to take credible and verifiable action against terrorist organizations operating from Afghan soil. It also called on it to fulfil its commitments to deny the use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country, rather than deflecting responsibility through fabricated accusations.
The ministry said the Taliban’s claims were a blatant attempt to externalize its internal dissent and conceal its oppression of women, children and minorities.