Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob, Afghanistan’s Defence Minister and son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, has placed blame on Pakistan’s military for its inability to prevent terror attacks. He denied allegations that Afghanistan is providing safe haven to terrorists and indicated that Pakistan’s internal security is at fault.
Speaking to the BBC, the Defence Minister rejected Pakistan’s claims of Afghanistan supporting terrorist groups. He asserted that Pakistan’s security forces have been ineffective in containing armed groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob stated that if TTP and BLA fighters launch attacks from Afghanistan inside Pakistan, it’s evidence of Pakistan’s security inadequacies. He emphasized that this is a problem for Pakistan, not Afghanistan.
Pakistan, in August, appealed to the United States to buy back military hardware left in Afghanistan after the 2021 withdrawal, citing the increasing use of these weapons by militants as a risk to regional security. The uncontrolled spread of US weaponry is seen as a direct danger to Pakistan.
This US weaponry, worth over USD 7 billion according to the Pentagon, encompasses armored vehicles, advanced firearms, biometric systems, and other crucial equipment. A considerable number of these arms are believed to have fallen into the hands of the Pakistani Taliban and are currently being deployed in attacks against Pakistan’s military.