TTP is Afghanistan’s proxy and Afghanistan of India: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said “TTP is Kabul’s proxy and Afghanistan is a proxy of India” and pointed to the contradiction in the alliance — on one hand the Hindutva ideology of extremist BJP and the white flag with kalma on the other.

Afghanistan planned the attacks while sitting in India, said the defence minister — a reference to the timing as the interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is in India.

AFGHAN POLICY NO MORE AMBIGUOUS

In an exclusive interview to Asma Shirazi who hosts HUM News prime time show “Faisla Aap Ka”, the defence minister also said that there was no more any ambiguity about the Afghan policy of Pakistan. “Situation is clear. We now know who is [our] enemy and who is enemy.”

Khawaja Asif went on to say that Pakistan was experiencing Indian-sponsored terrorism and Kabul had always enjoyed good relations with New Delhi. However, he added, that Afghanistan was never a friend of Pakistan.

48-HOUR CEASEFIRE

The latest statement came a day after Khawaja reminded the people that it was Afghanistan which carried the first ever attack on Pakistan.

Read more: Afghan Taliban: Khawaja Asif doesn’t see any room for talks

On Wednesday, he said war with the Afghan Taliban regime had started and questioned how Pakistan could hold discussions or dialogue with them, as he opined that the temporary ceasefire reached between two sides earlier in the day won’t last long.

And on Thursday, he again told Shirazi that the Afghan Taliban had sought a 48-hour ceasefire and Pakistan didn’t request for the same.

Read more: Pakistan carries out precision strikes on Kabul, Kandahar

However, the defence minister said “we have no objection if Afghanistan wants to transform the temporary ceasefire into a permanent” one.

Earlier in the day, rime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday made it clear that using a 48-hour ceasefire agreed between the Taliban regime of Afghanistan and Pakistan a day earlier as a tactic to buy time won’t be acceptable.

“If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them,” Shehbaz, reiterating that the TTP [Khawarij] terrorists should be eliminated and that Afghan territory not be used to plot attacks.

Read more: Using ceasefire for buying time won’t be accepted: Shehbaz

ONLY TERRORISM IS WHAT PAKISTAN GOT

As the defence minister noted the fact that Afghanistan has never been a friend to Pakistan, he also stressed the need for differentiating between a friend and an enemy.

He said Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades but it was only terrorism that Pakistan got in return.

Read more: Khawaja Asif says Afghans would have to leave Pakistan

IMRAN KHAN AND TTP

On the other hand, the defence minister also discussed Imran Khan — the PTI founder — with reference to the TTP and said he was trying find excuses to ensure his release.

Amid the latest demand to release him on parole so that he could “solve” the Afghanistan problem, Khawaja Asif recalled that it was the PTI founding chairman who had brought TTP back to Pakistan.

Read more: Resettling terrorists resulted in rise of terrorism: Shehbaz

As the PTI is calling for holding talks with the terrorists, the defence minister remarked that the PTI members would be identified if the government stopped the military operations against the terrorists.

“If the PTI doesn’t stand by the state then [the PTI] would stand by the enemy,” the defence minister stated in clear terms.

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