After Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah threatened to attack Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts within Afghanistan if action against them is not done, the United States declared that Pakistan has the right to defend itself against the scourge of terrorism.
According to the interior minister, “Islamabad may strike the TTP in Afghanistan if Kabul does not take measures to remove them [hideouts],” in an interview with a Pakistani TV channel.
The National Security Committee (NSC), led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also resolved on Monday that no nation will be permitted to offer refuge and assistance to terrorists, and Pakistan has all rights to protect its citizens.
Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially during the last couple of months since the end of the ceasefire with the government by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, responded to Pakistan’s promise against terrorism by saying that his nation is well aware of the NSC statement.
“The Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks. Pakistan has a right to defend itself from terrorism,” Price said, speaking at a weekly press conference in Washington.
According to him, the US calls on the Taliban to keep their promise to ensure that Afghan soil is never once again utilized as a staging area for global terrorist strikes.
According to the spokesman, “These are among the very obligations that the Taliban have been unable or unwilling to fulfill to date.”
Price went on to say that it has been consistently emphasized that the US will respond.
The Taliban have made commitments to the international community. But more importantly, they have made commitments to the Afghan people. Those are the commitments we care most about. Among the commitments, the Taliban have made but have repeatedly broken when it comes to their own people is an emphasis on human rights,” he stressed.
The State Department’s spokesman continued, “As long as the Taliban is not able to fulfill these commitments, we will respond in a way that registers our strong condemnation while continuing to support the Afghan people. And we’re going to be very careful not to do anything that could further imperil the humanitarian well-being of the Afghan people.”
