US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington does not want Pakistan to be struck by terrorist attacks originating in Afghanistan. He added that the United States would take on a constructive role in tackling the problem if it were able to do so. His remarks came at a press conference in Atlanta on Saturday, held after a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.
Rubio said Washington had listened to Islamabad’s worries about cross-border militancy and had also seen some of the attacks Pakistan had raised. He acknowledged that Pakistan believes attacks are being backed from Afghan territory and that the Taliban have not done enough to restrain them. “We obviously have heard those concerns on their part,” he said.
Rubio’s stance on the Afghan Taliban and cross-border attacks
Rubio said Washington did not necessarily have the closest relationship with the Afghan Taliban. Even so, he said the United States opposed terrorism regardless of where it started or who it targeted. He added that if there was a useful role for Washington to play, it would play it.
The secretary did not announce any specific initiative or mechanism to address the issue, according to the remarks reported. His comments nonetheless point to US backing for Pakistan’s concerns about cross-border terrorism.
Taliban and Pakistan trade accusations over militant attacks
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have grown over repeated cross-border attacks. Islamabad says the attacks are carried out by militants operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to take verifiable and irreversible action against terrorist groups on Afghan soil.
Pakistan has singled out the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it blames for a surge in attacks inside the country. The Afghan Taliban have rejected claims that their territory is being used to launch attacks on Pakistan. They have, however, avoided taking a clear position on the TTP.
On Saturday, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid blamed Islamabad’s “wrong policies” for preventing a resolution to the tensions. He insisted that Kabul was not responsible for Pakistan’s counterterrorism difficulties.
Islamabad rejects Kabul’s response and presses the international community
Pakistan’s information ministry strongly rejected Mujahid’s remarks. It accused the Taliban administration of consistently refusing to deal with terrorism coming from Afghan territory. In a statement, the ministry said Mujahid’s comments reflected a “deeply misguided approach and unwillingness to confront the root cause of deteriorating relations with Pakistan.”
The ministry said the Taliban leadership kept placing the blame on Islamabad while overlooking what Pakistan regards as the central problem. That problem, it said, is the failure to stop terrorist groups from using Afghan soil to carry out attacks. “Taliban regime’s persistent refusal to address terrorism remains the principal obstacle to normal relations,” the ministry said.
Pakistan has also raised the matter at international forums. It has urged the wider international community to press Kabul to take concrete action against terrorist sanctuaries operating across the border.
