By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal
September 4, 2023
Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister says that weapons and military equipment left behind by U.S. and other foreign forces in Afghanistan are being used against Pakistan, worsening the security situation in the country.
Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on September 4 that many thought that the situation in Pakistan would improve after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, but instead it has worsened.
Kakar claimed the reason for the insecurity is the seizure by various groups of weapons left behind in the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces two years ago.
“Weapons and military equipment in Afghanistan were left unmanaged after the withdrawal of the United States and its allies,” Kakar said, adding that these weapons were dangerous for Pakistan, Central Asia, and Iran.
The equipment includes modern weapons such as night binoculars, he said, speaking to a select group of journalists at his office in Islamabad.
The Taliban seized U.S.-supplied guns, ammunition, helicopters, and other modern military equipment from Afghan forces who surrendered. There is no definite information on how much U.S. equipment was left behind.
Kakar did not provide any evidence to support his allegation or directly link the Afghan Taliban to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TPP). He said there was a need to adopt a “coordinated approach” to tackling the challenge of the leftover equipment.
Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, former Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and other Pakistani officials have accused militants of traveling from Afghanistan to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The TPP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has said that its militants are operating from tribal areas. The group says that Pakistani officials are blaming Afghanistan to cover up their failures.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, said in an interview with Al-Arabia TV last week that he was committed to regional security. He previously called on Pakistan to end the conflict with the TTP through negotiations.
With reporting by AP
Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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