Pakistan Says Taliban Administration’s Support for TTP Impedes Bilateral Relations
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that what Islamabad calls the Taliban administration’s support for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is the main obstacle to improving relations between the two countries.
On Thursday, Tahir Andarabi said at a press conference that Afghans are “brothers and sisters” of Pakistan and that Islamabad does not want war with Afghanistan. However, he claimed that the issue of the TTP remains a serious point of contention between the two sides.
Responding to recent remarks by Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban administration’s spokesperson, who said Afghanistan would not allow its soil to be used against any country, Andarabi added that Kabul faces a “choice” — either to support the TTP or maintain good relations with Pakistan.
Tensions over the presence and activities of the TTP in border areas have been one of the key challenges in Kabul-Islamabad relations in recent years, often leading to mutual accusations between the two sides.
