The Taliban on Monday took a veiled dig at the West's negative propaganda against its government in Kabul, alleging that "some circles" were making baseless claims about Afghanistan.
"Unfortunately, some circles are trying to create unrest through negative propaganda and the spread of baseless claims. We assure other countries with complete confidence that Afghan soil will not be used against anyone," Hamdullah Fetrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Taliban, told reporters in Kabul.
Fetrat's comments come amid a recent report by the US Central Command which mentioned that the Taliban was supporting terrorist groups in the region.
Sharing the assessment of the security situation in Afghanistan, US Central Command Chief General Michael E Kurilla informed the US Senate Arms Services Committee last week that the Taliban was supporting the proscribed Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP**), which Islamabad has been blaming for carrying out multiple terrorist acts in its territory.
"The Taliban has shown little interest in applying counter-terrorism pressure against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, presenting a significant threat to stability in Pakistan's border regions. We do not expect that dynamic to change," General Kurilla noted.
"VEOs (Violent Extremist Organizations) killed at least 2,300 Pakistanis in 2023, with TTP in particular attacking Pakistan 881 times, the highest rate in over five years," Kurilla added.
It is worth noting that Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Taliban to take action against TTP's safe havens in Afghanistan, something the hardline Islamic movement has resisted at a time it has denied the presence of the terrorist group's cadres in the neighboring nation.
*under UN sanctions
**banned terrorist group