Pakistan renews claims of US weapons being used in terror attacks from Afghanistan

Pakistan has reiterated claims that American weapons abandoned in Afghanistan are being used in terrorist attacks within its borders, while also affirming the existence of terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told journalists during a weekly briefing that modern American weapons left behind in Afghanistan are now in the hands of terrorists conducting operations inside Pakistan.

"What happens between Afghanistan and the United States is a matter between two sovereign countries. The kind of relations or interaction they want to pursue is up to them," Khan stated. "On the question of the weapons left behind, we have been raising our concerns about the fact that these sophisticated weapons are finding their way into the hands of terrorists who are carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan."

Khan emphasized that Pakistan has raised these concerns with both the international community and Afghan authorities. "Pakistan desires friendly, cooperative relations," he stated, "but the key stumbling block is the question of sanctuaries enjoyed by terrorists on Afghan territory." He added that Pakistan would continue pursuing various channels of communication with Afghan authorities to address this issue.

An Afghan security personnel stands guard at a fenced corridor of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak district, Kandahar province on December 3, 2023. AFP

Addressing the closure of the Torkham border since last Friday, Khan explained that border issues involve multiple agencies and require coordinated responses. "Border management is often a complex issue and there are multiple agencies involved from both countries. There are customs, immigration, security, and layers of government departments interacting with each other," he said.

Khan clarified that Afghan authorities had attempted to construct a post on Pakistani territory without following proper procedures. "The problem is that the Afghan side is trying to construct a border post on our side unilaterally and we have urged them to resolve such issues through bilateral mechanism, such as Joint Coordination Committee Meeting, instead of resorting to unilateral actions," he explained.

"We have communicated to the Afghan authorities that this issue can be resolved through dialogue," Khan added. "We are hopeful that the matter would be resolved through dialogue."

Separately, Khan reported that Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi recently made his first visit to Pakistan at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's invitation. The visit, which included a high-level delegation, resulted in the signing of five memorandums of understanding.

Pakistani citizens deported from US arrive home

The spokesperson also announced that eight Pakistani nationals have returned home in the first batch of deportations from the United States. "We can confirm that eight Pakistani nationals who were staying illegally in the United States have indeed returned yesterday," he confirmed.

Khan declined to provide details about their identities, stating that only the Federal Investigation Agency and Interior Ministry are authorized to release that information. "This information is available with the Ministry of Interior and FIA, because they process it," he noted.

He further explained Pakistan's policy on accepting deported citizens: "As a matter of policy, any Pakistani who is, for example, found staying illegally, and his or her nationality is confirmed, we take them back and there is no ambiguity on that. At this point, the two sides are in discussion with each other, but this is the first batch which has arrived."

"We are facilitating the return of Pakistanis deported from the US," he added.

Khan highlighted Pakistan's longstanding diplomatic relationship with the United States, noting the F-16 program has been a significant component of bilateral ties. He expressed Pakistan's satisfaction with recent US decisions regarding this program.