BANNU: Reiterating his resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Afghanistan must choose between siding with terrorists or standing with Pakistan, warning there would be zero tolerance for ambiguity on the issue.
Addressing an important high-level meeting on terrorism during his visit to Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) along with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the premier said Pakistan would continue to deliver a firm response to terrorism and those facilitating Indian proxies.
PM Shehbaz made it clear that anyone speaking in favour of foreign elements or acting as their facilitator would be treated as their “instrument and would be answered in the same language they understood”.
Afghan nationals are involved in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, he said, adding that illegal Afghan residents would soon be expelled.
Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than four decades, from the Soviet invasion to the 2021 Taliban takeover. Some refugees were born and raised there, while others have been awaiting relocation to third countries.
However, the government, citing a rise in militant attacks and insurgent campaigns, launched a crackdown in 2023 to evict Afghans. More than 1.2 million Afghans have since been forced to return, including over 443,000 this year alone, according to the United Nations.
The premier went on to say that the people, the state, and the armed forces of Pakistan stood united like a fortified wall against Indian proxies, rejecting politics and misleading narratives on the matter.
During his visit, PM Shehbaz also inquired after injured security personnel at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Bannu. Meanwhile, the Peshawar Corps Commander gave a detailed briefing on the regional security situation.
According to security sources, masterminds and facilitators of terrorism are based in Afghanistan and are being supported by India.
