Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said that her country cannot verify the claim by the Afghan Taliban of arresting Pakistani Taliban members.
Earlier, the spokesperson of the Taliban’s Interior Ministry had announced the arrest of 40 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban of Pakistan in Afghanistan.
During a press conference on Thursday, in response to a question in this regard, Baloch stated, "At this stage, we are unable to confirm the existence, scale or effectiveness of any action along those lines."
However, she urged the Taliban to take action against extremist groups, especially Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Earlier, Abdul Mateen Qane, Taliban’s spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, had told local media outlets that the group had arrested several ISIS members and 40 members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Following the takeover of power in August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a significant surge in insecurity and explosions within its territory. Over the last two years, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for most attacks targeting Pakistani forces.
Pakistani officials say that the leaders and members of the Pakistani Taliban have a safe haven in Afghanistan and plan their attacks from there.
In addition, the Pakistani government has claimed that some members of the Afghan Taliban are also involved in bloody attacks in Pakistan.
Nevertheless, the Afghan Taliban consistently refutes these allegations, saying that Pakistan holds them responsible for the security failures on its part.
Invitation for Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman to Kabul
During the press conference, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson also stated that she is unaware of the Taliban's invitation for Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, the country’s famous cleric, to visit Kabul.
Baloch said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not aware of the issue and does not want to comment on the private visit of individuals.
On December 17, Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s spokesperson said that Fazal-ur-Rehman was invited to Kabul to prevent propaganda against the Taliban in Pakistan.
Mujahid emphasised on the group's intention to share certain facts with the people of Pakistan, highlighting that this Pakistani cleric could play a constructive role in facilitating this communication.
It has been said that Fazal-ur-Rehman accepted the Taliban’s invitation.
