Afghan FM in India blames Pakistan groups for tensions

Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that certain groups in Pakistan are working to harm relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

Speaking at a press conference at Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi during his official visit to India, his first since 2021, Muttaqi said Kabul has no issues with the Pakistani people or its political leaders.

“Some special groups in Pakistan are trying to destabilise the situation,” he told reporters, according to Tolo News.

Muttaqi denied that the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) operates from Afghan territory, arguing that the individuals Pakistan views as threats are in fact “internally displaced people from Pakistan.” He underlined that Afghanistan would defend its borders, airspace, and sovereignty against any violations.

His remarks come after a series of deadly incidents along the border. On 9 October, explosions were reported in Kabul, with Afghan officials blaming Pakistan. Two days later, fierce clashes erupted between Afghan and Pakistani border forces in Paktia province.

The Afghan government claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 wounded, while nine Afghan troops died in the fighting. Kabul also said its border guards seized weapons and equipment during the clashes.

Pakistan’s military, however, reported 23 soldiers killed and 29 injured, claiming to have neutralised more than 200 “terrorists” linked to the Afghan administration. The hostilities subsided following mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to Afghan officials.

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