Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has said that the only points of contention between Pakistan and Afghanistan are the presence of banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in the latter and cross-border attacks.
The statements attributed to the head of the army were broadcast by the state broadcaster PTV News and were uttered during his meeting in Peshawar a day ago with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa politicians.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained due to frequent border skirmishes as Islamabad repeatedly demanded Kabul take action against the TTP for using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies the accusations.
Last month, at least eight people were killed and 13, including civilians, were injured on the Afghan side during clashes. The two sides were exchanging fire since Pakistani warplanes bombed suspected TTP camps in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province.
One Frontier Corps soldier was martyred while 11 others were injured in the clashes, which began after a failed attempt by militants on the Afghan side to infiltrate Pakistan.
Addressing the issue in his talks with politicians, the army chief said Afghanistan was a “brotherly neighbour”. [and] an Islamic country” with which Pakistan “has always wanted” better relations.
“The only difference with Afghanistan is the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij in Afghanistan and the spread of terrorism in Pakistan from across the border, and it will continue until they eliminate this problem,” the army chief said.
In July, the government, through official notification, designated the TTP as Fitna al Khawarijwhile forcing all institutions to use the term khariji (marginalized) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
The army chief further said, “Our policy is Pakistan only.”
COAS Munir said that no large-scale operation was being carried out in KP and the TTP was also not active in any area of Pakistan, adding that only selective operations based on intelligence were carried out.
The military chief said that everyone would have to unite against terrorism without discrimination or prejudice as the policy could only be carried out if there was a state. “If there is no State, then there is nothing,” he added.
General Munir said the situation would improve if everyone worked together and cooperated.
“There is a special relationship between the people and the army. In this relationship, the false narrative of a gap is mainly driven by a specific agenda from outside,” the COAS said.
He further said that the agreement of all parties on the National Action Plan (NAP) was encouraging but that it had to be worked on quickly. The NAP is a 20-point plan created by the government in 2014 to combat terrorism and extremism. The plan was developed in collaboration with stakeholders and federal ministries.
The country’s political leaders had asked the military top brass to collaborate with Afghanistan to address Pakistan’s internal security problems, he said.
In the almost four-hour meeting with COAS Munir, representatives of various political parties expressed their concern over the prevailing law and order situation in the province.
Sources aware of the meeting said political leaders wanted full implementation of the NAP and at the same time suggested a review of the plan to make certain changes if necessary.
talking to SunriseSources familiar with the meeting revealed that everyone “suggested a commitment to the Afghan interim government, formal or informal.”
They said all participants were of the opinion that cooperation between neighboring countries could facilitate peace in the region.
However, the army chief noted that Afghan interim rulers had failed to heed repeated warnings in the past.
“They are not listening to us,” said sources cited by the army chief to those who asked for a formal or informal dialogue with the Afghan interim government. Political leaders then suggested that military leaders use “other forms of engagement” with the Afghan interim government to resolve the problems.
