Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob, Afghanistan’s Defence Minister and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, has blamed Pakistan for failing to prevent terrorist attacks. He dismissed Pakistan’s accusations of Afghanistan providing sanctuary to terrorists, highlighting the failures of Pakistan’s security apparatus.
Speaking with the BBC, the Defence Minister addressed Pakistan’s allegations regarding the harboring of terrorists. He asserted that Pakistan’s internal security has not effectively restricted armed groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob stated that the responsibility for attacks carried out by the TTP and BLA within Pakistan lies with Pakistan, not Afghanistan. He suggested that the attacks demonstrated shortcomings in Pakistan’s internal security.
In August, Pakistan urged the United States to buy back military equipment abandoned in Afghanistan following the withdrawal in 2021, citing concerns that these weapons are falling into the hands of militants and threatening regional security. The unchecked circulation of US weaponry is seen as a direct danger to Pakistan’s security.
The US weapons cache, valued at over USD 7 billion by the Pentagon, consists of armored vehicles, advanced firearms, biometric systems, and other sophisticated equipment. A significant number of these weapons are reportedly in the possession of the Pakistani Taliban, and are being used to attack Pakistan’s military.