Afghan defence minister seeks tension-free ties with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Afghan Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob has said that his country does not want strained relations with Pakistan and seeks to resolve existing problems through dialogue.

Yaqoob, the eldest son of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the late Taliban founder, made the remarks in an interview with BBC Pashto in Kabul.

The Taliban deputy chief, who is also among the movement’s most influential leaders, said: “We never want our relations with Pakistan to remain tense or bad. We believe that strained relations are not in the interest of either Pakistan or Afghanistan. Our effort is to reconcile in every area and respect each other’s rights as neighbours.”

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He said: “But unfortunately, under the current circumstances, relations are not as normal as they used to be. I am not happy with this situation. We need good relations, and whatever challenges or problems exist, we should find a way to solve them.”

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Yaqoob previously served as head of the Taliban’s military commission during the insurgency against the United States and NATO forces.

The Afghan defence minister dismissed Pakistani leaders’ assertion that militant groups use Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan, instead accusing Islamabad of shifting blame.

“TTP (the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and BLA (the banned Baloch Liberation Army) conduct their operations inside Pakistan, hundreds of kilometres away from the Durand Line,” he said. “If they are entering from Afghanistan and travelling such long distances inside Pakistan, why are they not stopped there? Whether it’s a car bomb, a targeted killing, or an explosion, it should be prevented inside Pakistan. I think this shows the weakness of their security agencies, which is being blamed on Afghanistan to cover it up.”

Yaqoob stressed that instead of blaming each other and spreading propaganda, “it is better to recognize the truth, increase cooperation, and make a solid plan to resolve these problems.” He said he does not want relations with Pakistan to deteriorate, as “that will not benefit either country.”

Daesh and al-Qaeda

On global concerns about Daesh’s presence in Afghanistan, Yaqoob denied the group’s existence.

“This could be the claim of those countries who created the group for their own objectives,” he said, without naming any. “The so-called Islamic State group has been eliminated in Afghanistan.”

Regarding al-Qaeda, Yaqoob said all contacts between the Taliban and the network ended after the US invasion in 2001.

He claimed al-Qaeda members had relocated to the Middle East, where most originated from, adding: “We do not have any information about their presence in Afghanistan.”