Mufakir: Pakistan’s Army Training Anti-Afghanistan Elements in Tribal Areas

The Ministry of Interior, without naming any specific group, says that anti-Afghanistan elements have safe havens across the Durand Line and are being trained and supported by Pakistan’s army.

Officials from the ministry add that the government seeks good relations with countries based on mutual respect and emphasizes that supporting anti-Afghanistan groups is not in Pakistan’s interest.

The Director of Internal Security at the Ministry of Interior, Sultan Mohammad Mufakir, said: “Pakistan’s position has always been such that it has hosted opponents of Afghan governments on its soil. They do not work on ideology; rather, they shelter those who oppose the current system in Afghanistan. We are not against any neighboring country, nor will we be.”

He rejected Pakistan’s repeated claims that Afghan territory is being used by armed groups and added that such claims stem from Pakistan’s own security weaknesses.

He also questioned Pakistan’s assertions, asking: if armed groups truly exist in Afghanistan, why do they not pose threats to other neighboring countries, especially China and Iran?

The Director of Internal Security further stated: “If they claim that opponents cross from here into Pakistan, we have five other neighboring countries besides Pakistan—why do these groups not go to China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, or Iran? If we examine their claims, they are not free from two possibilities: either they are lying, or they themselves are involved.”

A few days ago, the government spokesperson, in an interview with Iranian media, said that the deadly bombing at a mosque in Islamabad was a result of Pakistan’s support for terrorism.

Analysts, however, accuse Pakistan of pursuing a double policy toward Afghanistan since its creation, saying it has never cooperated in establishing a strong government in Afghanistan.

Political analyst Turyalai Zazai said: “We have seen how many crimes Pakistan has committed over the past half-century. The existence of a strong and stable system in Afghanistan is never acceptable to Pakistan.”

International relations analyst Najib Rahman Shamal said: “Pakistan never wants a strong and sovereign government to be established in Afghanistan.”

Since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, Pakistani officials—including the prime minister—have repeatedly claimed, without presenting evidence, that anti-Pakistan groups are present in Afghanistan. However, the Islamic Emirate has consistently rejected these claims as baseless and, in contrast, has presented evidence alleging that Pakistan hosts anti-Afghanistan groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan under its control.