Rubio Acknowledges Pakistan’s Concerns Over Afghan-Based Terrorism

WASHINGTON: (Web Desk)  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has acknowledged Pakistan’s concerns over terrorist attacks originating from Afghan territory, stressing that Washington does not want Pakistan to become a victim of cross-border terrorism.

Speaking in Atlanta on Saturday after the conclusion of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, Rubio said Islamabad had raised serious concerns about militant attacks allegedly being launched from Afghanistan. He noted that Pakistan believed the Afghan Taliban authorities were not taking adequate measures to prevent such attacks.

“Pakistan is concerned about terrorist attacks that are being sponsored from the territory of Afghanistan. They feel that the Taliban is not doing enough to constrain those attacks, and they’ve taken action against it,” Rubio said.

He added that Washington was aware of Islamabad’s concerns and did not want Pakistan to face the threat of terrorism.

“We obviously have heard those concerns on their part. We obviously don’t want them to be targeted by terrorism,” the US secretary of state remarked.

Rubio’s comments come amid renewed diplomatic tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over allegations that militant groups are using Afghan territory to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

On Saturday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting strongly rejected remarks by Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, accusing the Taliban leadership of diverting attention from the issue of cross-border terrorism while placing responsibility on Islamabad.

The ministry maintained that the continued presence of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan remained a major challenge to regional security and normal relations between the two neighbouring countries. It warned that Pakistan would not allow militant hideouts across the border to threaten its national security.

Reaffirming Islamabad’s position, the ministry said Pakistan reserved the right to take all necessary measures in accordance with international law to counter threats to its security. It also stressed that the country’s security could not be compromised because of what it described as the Taliban regime’s inaction, evasions and misplaced priorities.

Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable action against militant organisations, particularly the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad accuses of using Afghan territory as a launching ground for attacks.

The Afghan Taliban authorities, however, have consistently rejected allegations that militant groups are operating from Afghanistan to carry out attacks against Pakistan.