Pakistan has rejected allegations by former US ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad that Islamabad is arming former Afghan fighters to confront the Taliban and other militant groups.

In a fact-check report, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting described the allegations as baseless and misleading. It said Khalilzad’s claims relied on speculation and reflected what the ministry called a personal agenda.

The ministry also rejected attempts to link Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations with claims that it was recruiting Afghan nationals or sponsoring armed groups inside Afghanistan.

It said Pakistan conducts operations against militant organisations operating from areas under the control of Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities and posing threats to Pakistani citizens.

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“Pakistan remains at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and has made enormous sacrifices in protecting regional peace and security,” the ministry said.

Pakistan Cites UN Monitoring Reports

The ministry also referred to successive United Nations monitoring reports that it said documented the continued presence and activities of militant organisations in Afghanistan.

“Successive UN monitoring reports have documented the continued presence and activities of terrorist organisations, including TTP and Al-Qaeda, inside Afghanistan,” the statement said.

Pakistan further accused the Taliban authorities of failing to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan.

The ministry alleged that India-sponsored proxies were operating from Afghanistan to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan. These allegations remain the Pakistani government’s position.

Ministry Criticises Khalilzad’s Claims

The ministry said Khalilzad’s allegations diverted attention from what it described as the Taliban administration’s responsibility to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory.

It also criticised the former US envoy for making claims that Islamabad considers unsupported by evidence.

“Mr Khalilzad paddling of such unsubstantiated allegations only expose his skewed agenda based views,” the ministry said.

The statement did not provide further details about the specific evidence Khalilzad cited for his allegations.

Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about militant activity originating from Afghan territory, particularly attacks attributed to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Taliban authorities have disputed aspects of Pakistan’s accusations concerning militant groups operating inside Afghanistan.