Former Afghan Ambassador Accuses Pakistan of Portraying Afghanistan as a Terror Haven

Najibullah Ali Khil, former Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, has accused Islamabad of attempting to portray Afghanistan as a “terrorist haven” while presenting itself as a “victim of terrorism”. Commenting on recent airstrikes by Pakistan, Ali Khil said the aim is to impose this intelligence narrative on the international community. According to him, Pakistan strives to create the perception that the roots of terrorism lie within Afghanistan, whereas he believes extremist groups are not a strategic threat to Pakistan but rather tools in its foreign policy. Ali Khil emphasized that Pakistan’s main concern is not religious groups but the emergence of a strong and nationally cohesive Afghanistan; one in which Pashtun and Baloch nationalist movements pursue their rights through civil means. He also stated that another objective of the recent attacks is to destabilize Afghanistan’s security situation, deterring regional countries from using Afghanistan as an alternative trade route and maintaining their transit dependency on Pakistan. The former diplomat added that Islamabad is trying to pressure the Taliban administration militarily to compel it to accede to Pakistan’s demands regarding the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and to reconsider its relations with India. Ali Khil believes current tensions have entered a new and complex phase, with prospects for trust between the two sides darker than before. Meanwhile, the Taliban administration has yet to develop a clear and national policy for managing relations with its neighbors and addressing security threats, a situation that has heightened concerns about the potential escalation of another imposed crisis in Afghanistan.