Pakistan’s president defends attacks in Afghanistan, urges Kabul to root out militants

Pakistan’s president on Monday defended his country’s ongoing military offensive in neighboring Afghanistan, saying Islamabad had tried all forms of diplomacy before targeting militants operating from Afghan territory and called on the Taliban government in Kabul to disarm groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan.

Pakistan had earlier said it was in “open war” with Afghanistan, alarming the international community. The border region is a stronghold for militant organizations including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

“(Afghan Taliban) must choose to dismantle terrorist groups that survive the conflict and its war economy,” Asif Ali Zardari said in a speech to lawmakers, adding, “No state will accept serial attacks on its soil.”

Afghanistan launched an attack on Thursday in retaliation for Pakistan’s airstrikes the previous Sunday. Since then, Pakistan has carried out operations across the border, which Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said killed 435 Afghan troops and captured 31 Afghan positions.

Kabul has denied such claims.

In Afghanistan, the Pakistani military fired mortar shells at a refugee camp in eastern Kunar province, killing three children and injuring three others, deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said Afghan forces carried out attacks targeting a Pakistani military facility near Paktia province, causing “significant losses and heavy casualties”.

The Pakistan Army did not respond to the queries. It said Pakistan was only targeting Afghan military installations to avoid civilian casualties.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence in recent months and blames the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. It operates within Pakistan and from Afghan territory.

Islamabad has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of providing safe haven to the TTP, which Kabul denies.

The most recent cross-border fighting ended a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey in October. The two sides failed to reach a permanent agreement in talks held in Istanbul.

Reiterating Pakistan’s call for talks, Zardari said, “We have never shied away from talks.”

The Pakistani leader again accused Afghanistan of acting as India’s proxy by harboring militant groups. “Stop using another country as a battleground for their ambitions,” he said.

Zardari cited a recent report by a United Nations Security Council monitoring team that described the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan as an additional regional threat.

___

Kahar reported from Kabul. Associated Press writers Riyaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan contributed to this story.