Fact Check: Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban’s Nuristan claims, calls allegations baseless

Fact Check: Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban's Nuristan claims, calls allegations baseless

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban’s Nuristan claims, describing claims linking Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies to alleged violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province as “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.”

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a fact-check statement rejecting the allegations and said no evidence had been provided to establish Pakistan’s involvement.

Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban’s Nuristan claims over alleged support for militants

The ministry rejected claims that Pakistani security agencies had recruited or trained former Afghan security personnel or facilitated Daesh or other militant groups operating in Afghanistan.

According to the Pakistani statement, the Afghan Taliban had not provided identities, documents, communications, forensic evidence or independent verification to support its allegations.

The response followed a statement from the Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Defence, which alleged that groups affiliated with Daesh and other elements had crossed the Durand Line into Kamdesh district of Nuristan with the support of Pakistani militias.

The Afghan Taliban claimed that its security forces killed 28 alleged infiltrators and captured 32 others, while the remaining individuals returned across the Durand Line.

Pakistan also rejected a video circulating on social media that was presented in support of the Afghan allegations. The ministry said the footage showed a small number of unarmed individuals and did not establish Pakistani involvement.

Pakistan calls for action against militant groups

The Pakistani ministry referred to reports from the United Nations and other international organisations concerning the presence and activities of militant groups inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan said the Afghan authorities should take credible and verifiable action against militant organisations operating from Afghan territory and honour commitments to prevent Afghan soil from being used for terrorism against Pakistan or other countries.

Also Read: Pakistan, India Exchange Prisoner Lists as Islamabad Rejects Indian Remarks on Afghanistan

The ministry also accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of attempting to shift responsibility for internal security problems through allegations against Pakistan.

Pakistan lodges demarche over alleged airspace violation

Separately, Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned Afghan Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib and conveyed a formal demarche over an alleged violation of Pakistani airspace.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the protest concerned a drone incident reported on September 23. The Afghan side was formally informed of Pakistan’s concerns over the alleged airspace violation.

The demarche was delivered on Saturday, with Pakistan formally conveying its position to the Afghan authorities.

The latest diplomatic exchange comes amid continuing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over terrorism, cross-border security and alleged violations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

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