Pakistan urges Taliban govt in Afghanistan to cut ties with TTP

• Pakistan warns Afghan Taliban over TTP safe havens.
• Islamabad presses Taliban to act against cross-border terror.
• Foreign Office summons Afghan interim ambassador.

Pakistan has asked the Afghan government to cut ties with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and meet its commitment to eliminate the group from Afghan soil, cautioning that failure to act would be treated as “hostile” activity.

Islamabad conveyed its message through the Afghan interim ambassador in Pakistan, who was summoned to the Foreign Office the other day. The envoy was told in clear terms that Afghanistan’s Taliban regime must ensure its soil is not used for terrorist activities, The News reported on Wednesday.

The envoy was summoned in the wake of a recent surge in terrorist activities of Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists, sheltering on Afghan soil and are funded and sponsored by Indian’s RAW — the Research and Analysis Wing.

Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News Tuesday evening that Afghan interim ambassador Sardar Ahmed Shakib was summoned to the Foreign Office.

Additional Foreign Secretary Syed Ali Assad Gilani conveyed Pakistan’s concern to the Taliban envoy.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, with the status of Minister of State, Muhammad Sadiq Khan, has returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he had gone on an Afghanistan-related unannounced mission. He will be submitting a detailed report to the leadership about his undertaking.

He is likely to lead a delegation of senior officials to Kabul later this week to take up the latest developments in bilateral issues with the Taliban government.

Sadiq Khan will convey a stern message from Pakistan’s leadership to his interlocutors in the Afghan capital. He will also have a meeting with interim Afghan Foreign Minister Mulla Amir Muttaqi.

Meanwhile, sources told this scribe that 18 terrorists were killed near the Chahbahar area of Iran, who had a close association with the terrorist group BLA — the Balochistan Liberation Army. Sixteen terrorists were reportedly Afghan nationals.

Foreign Office spokesman Additional Foreign Secretary Shafqat Ali Khan was not available for comment on Afghanistan-related developments, as his phone went unanswered till late evening.