Kamran Yousaf
Press TV, Islamabad
Pakistan has laid to rest its soldiers killed in a recent terrorist attack. Over the past two weeks, at least 22 Pakistani security officials and soldiers have lost their lives in multiple terrorist attacks.
In one such attack along the Afghan border, at least five Pakistani soldiers were killed. Pakistan has blamed militants based in Afghanistan for the attacks. It has issued a strong statement urging the interim Afghan government not to allow militants to use the Afghan soil against Pakistan in the future.
Pakistan has publicly condemned the use of Afghan soil for the first time since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August.
The Taliban government spokesperson has denied Pakistani allegations and insisted it has no evidence to suggest the recent attacks originated from the neighboring country.
Pakistan hoped that cross-border as well as terrorist raids would end under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, but the number of such attacks has gone up instead. This has raised concerns in Islamabad that the Afghan Taliban either does not have what it takes or is unwilling to act against militant groups.
Back in November last year, a ceasefire was brokered between Islamabad and pro-Taliban militants based in Pakistan. But the truce ended with both sides accusing the other for not fulfilling their promises.
Observers believe that Pakistan’s relationship with the interim government in Afghanistan could come under serious stress if the cross-border militant attacks are continued.