The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, officially known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has strongly rejected recent statements made by Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Asif Durrani. Durrani had suggested that Afghanistan could once again be the source of a 9/11-style attack. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Afghan foreign ministry dismissed these remarks as misleading and far removed from reality.
Durrani’s comments, made earlier this week, claimed that the international community’s neglect of Afghanistan could lead to a resurgence of threats similar to those posed by al-Qaeda in the early 2000s. He implied that Afghanistan, under the current regime, could once again become a breeding ground for global terrorism.
In a sharp rebuke, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, Deputy Spokesman of the Afghan foreign ministry, argued that the threats Durrani warned of are more likely to emanate from Pakistan than Afghanistan. Ahmad emphasized that Afghanistan is now a “secure and stable country” focused on achieving economic self-sufficiency through the utilization of its own resources, rather than relying on foreign aid.
“The issues and threats that Mr. Durrani attributes to Afghanistan are, in fact, more probable from Pakistan. Afghanistan has successfully eradicated the ISIS terrorist group within its borders, and should the remaining ISIS hideouts along the Durand Line be neutralized, the threat would be fully eliminated,” Ahmad stated.
He also reiterated that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is an internal issue for Pakistan that requires a domestic solution. The Afghan government, according to Ahmad, has already demonstrated goodwill in addressing shared concerns and urged Pakistani authorities to take practical steps toward resolving the matter.
Ahmad further advised Durrani to avoid making provocative statements that could harm diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries, stressing that it is the responsibility of diplomats to foster cooperation rather than division.
The deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Hamdullah Fitrat, also condemned Durrani’s remarks the previous day, reinforcing Afghanistan’s stance against what it views as baseless accusations from Pakistan.
