For the first time, the Taliban's* interior ministry said that some 40 terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan** (TTP) had been arrested across the country in the past year.
"We have a large number of ISIS*** prisoners and about 35 to 40 TTP terrorists in our custody," Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, was quoted as saying by Afghan media.
The media reported that Pakistan's information on the hideouts of the TTP terrorists enabled the arrest of the TTP terrorists. Pakistan's Foreign Office insisted that the Afghan interim government deal sternly with militants operating within its borders.
Pakistani officials say the TTP and related organisations based in Afghanistan are responsible for the recent upsurge in militant violence and suicide bombings in the country.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, revealed last month that his country had demanded that Kabul choose between joining the militant network or Pakistan earlier this year in response to a deadly mosque blast in Peshawar that killed around 100 worshippers.
Tensions between the two nations have risen over the TTP militant problem in Afghanistan, and Pakistan has announced the deportation of unregistered foreigners - mainly Afghans - citing security concerns.
* under UN sanctions for extremism
**Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - a terrorist organization banned in Russia and India.
***ISIS-K, Daesh (IS/ISIS/ISIL) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and other states.