- ‘We inform Afghan forces twice verbally and in written’
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said that a response from the Afghan government about the newly-launched Khyber-IV security operation is unwarranted.
In a statement, Afghan Ministry of Defence spokesperson Dawlat Waziri said that the Pakistan Army should have launched the military operations – monitored by the United States and China – in ‘terrorist centres’ in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.
“Military operations need to be launched on both sides of the Durand Line. Everyone understands the terrorist centres are located in Pakistan; Quetta Council, Peshawar Council and Miranshah Council that are Taliban groups,” Waziri’s spokesperson claimed.
“The response runs counter to the Pakistan Army’s efforts for better Pak-Afghan coordination and cooperation,” the ISPR statement said. The statement said that information about the Khyber-IV operation was shared twice verbally and in written with the Afghan Forces as well as the Resolute Support Mission and the Office of the Defence Representative.
The ISPR statement said that the Pakistan Army looks forward for the trust based security coordination and cooperation for the fight against the common enemy. “Rhetoric of blames and suggestive allegations are agenda of forces working against order and peace in the region which should be avoided,” it said.
On Sunday, ISPR Director General Asif Ghafoor announced the launch of the Khyber-IV under the Radd-ul-Fasaad (RuF) to wipe out terrorists in the Rajgal Valley area of the Khyber Agency. He also said that the army had informed the Afghan forces ahead of the launch of the operation so that the Afghan Army would be able to support on their side of the border if they wished.
He also said that the information would be shared with Kabul if the Afghan leadership wished to conduct supporting operations and coordination in this regard is ongoing. “We will strengthen our border. We will be able to check cross-border movements, and will be physically and technically monitored, with either forts or a checkpost every 1.5 kilometres,” he said.
