Gohar vows PTI will back state if Pakistan-Afghanistan crisis deepens

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Wednesday lent strong support to the state, declaring that his party would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the national institutions if the tensions in Afghanistan are strained.

“We will stand with Pakistan like we did during the war with India, Afghanistan will be no different,” the PTI chairman said while speaking on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”. However, he said, Pakistan has to live with its neighbors and “it is in its interest to live peacefully.”

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, the PTI chairman said: “Those who have the most at stake will have to explore every possible venue.”

“We have a lot at stake; if Afghanistan is going to achieve dialogue, we should also continue to find ways to reach consensus,” he said, adding that the issue was “serious” because the Taliban did not have full control of the country.

“If the Afghan Taliban attacked Pakistan, our response would naturally mirror that against India,” he said. “However, this should not mean that dialogue should stop during the conflict. Dialogue should continue, and countries friendly to Pakistan should use their influence to engage the Taliban.”

His comments came as four days of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul ended without a breakthrough despite Islamabad repeatedly making evidence-backed counter-terrorism demands.

The development was confirmed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who said Islamabad had asked the Taliban government to “repeatedly fulfill its written commitments to Pakistan and the international community in the Doha Agreement.”

However, he said, “Pakistan’s earnest efforts have proved futile due to the Afghan Taliban government’s unrelenting support for anti-Pakistani terrorists.”

‘Will defeat Afghanistan in proxy war’

Separately, Tarar – speaking on Geo News’ program “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Ki Seth” – mobilized the Afghan Taliban government for extending full support to the Tehreek-e-Talaban Pakistan (TTP).

“Afghan Taliban have given full support to TTP and they have been included in their formations,” he said.

He noted that there was evidence that Afghan territory had been used against Pakistan and made clear Islamabad’s only demand: Afghan territory should not be used for attacks on Pakistan.

The Information Minister criticized the Taliban for failing to stop terrorist activities and said that Pakistan has shown extraordinary patience but the right of self-defense is reserved. “We will defeat Afghanistan in this proxy war,” he added.

Islamabad-Kabul tension

Against the backdrop of increasing terror attacks in Pakistan, the two neighboring countries are witnessing heightened tensions amid the Afghan Taliban government’s reluctance to act against terrorist groups operating from its soil.

The tension escalated when Taliban forces and the India-backed Tehreek-e-Talaban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitnah al-Kharj, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on October 12.

Pakistan’s armed forces gave a befitting response to the aggression, killing more than 200 Afghan Taliban and allied militants in self-defense.

The army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said 23 soldiers accepted martyrdom in clashes with Taliban forces and terrorists.

Additionally, security forces also carried out “security strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital Kabul, as well as in the border areas of North and South Waziristan districts, successfully destroying several strongholds in response to the offensive.

The two sides had agreed to a temporary ceasefire during the Doha talks on October 19 and held further meetings to establish permanent mechanisms to ensure peace and stability.