The Taliban* has termed the recent remarks of Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as "baseless" after he warned Kabul that Islamabad would launch a military campaign inside Afghan territory to flush out terrorists that are allegedly responsible for several attacks in the neighboring nation.
Taliban Dismiss Pakistan's Concerns
The Islamic Emirate's rulers urged Pakistan not to make baseless accusations before calling Islamabad to share its concerns with Kabul instead of raising them in the media.
"Various Pakistani officials are making baseless accusations against Afghanistan regarding the country's security situation, which we reject. The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use the territory of Afghanistan against any other country," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.
The Taliban's strong reaction to Bilawal's comments comes amid growing concern in Islamabad that Kabul was not keen on taking action against terrorist organizations like the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)**, which Pakistan believes is responsible for a series of deadly attacks inside its land area.
"We will act under international law to defend ourselves. If the Afghan authorities don't act, then action inside can be one of the options but not the first option," Bilawal said earlier this week.
Record Surge in Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan
According to a report by a Pakistan think tank, the Islamic country has witnessed an unprecedented wave of suicide attacks this year.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) findings revealed that the South Asian nation has witnessed 18 suicide attacks in the first seven months of 2023 compared to 15 last year.
More than 200 people have died in these attacks, including scores of policemen, most of whom were killed in January's Peshawar mosque bombing in which over 100 lost their lives.
The TTP has taken responsibility or is behind most of these attacks, Pakistani security agencies have said.
* The Taliban is under UN sanctions over extremism.
** a terrorist organization banned in Russia and India.