ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military spokesperson has warned Afghanistan that trade and cross-border militancy “cannot go together,” accusing the Taliban-led government in Kabul of facilitating militant attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan closed all border crossings with Afghanistan on Oct. 12 following deadly clashes between the two states in which both sides claimed to have killed dozens of troops. Tensions between the neighbors persisted and reached a boiling point this week after Kabul accused Islamabad of conducting airstrikes inside its territory that killed 10 civilians. Pakistan’s military rejected the allegations as Kabul vowed it would retaliate at a time of its choosing.
Pakistan’s army and civilian government accuse Kabul of facilitating cross-border attacks by extremist groups such as the Pakistani Taliban or the TTP. Kabul denies the allegations and says Pakistan’s security challenges are its internal problem.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry briefed journalists on Islamabad’s tensions with Kabul, border management with Afghanistan, India and the repatriation of illegal residents in Pakistan this Tuesday.
“If we have restricted trade, it is not because we have a problem with trade itself. Our concern is that we say our security becomes paramount, our lives are more important,” Chaudhry told reporters in the briefing which was released by the military on Saturday.
