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The Foreign Office on Tuesday demanded the Afghan Interim Government apprehend and handover the perpetrators of a suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan that martyred 23 soldiers earlier in the day.
Additionally, a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded Afghan authorities apprehend and handover the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership based in Afghanistan to the Government of Pakistan.
Early on Tuesday morning, at least 23 soldiers were martyred after militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a Pakistani military base. According to the military’s media wing, security forces killed all six attackers. The attack was subsequently claimed by the Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a little-known group believed to be affiliated with the banned TTP.
In its statement, the Foreign Office said the foreign secretary had summoned the Charge d’Affaires of Afghanistan to deliver a “strong demarche” in light of the terrorist attack. In the demarche, read the statement, the Charge d’Affaires was asked to convey to the Afghan Interim Government Pakistan’s demand for a full investigation as well as stern action against the perpetrators of the attack.
Additionally, the interim government was asked to publicly condemn the terrorist incident at the highest level; take immediate, verifiable actions against all terrorist groups, including their leadership, and their sanctuaries; and take all necessary measures to deny the persistent use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
The terrorist attack, read the statement, was “yet another reminder of the terrorist threat to peace and stability” in the region. “We must act resolutely with all our collective might to defeat this menace. On its part, Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to combat terrorism,” it added.
There has been a significant resurgence of terrorism across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the TTP ended its ceasefire—inked after the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul—with the government last year. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the first half of 2023 saw a nearly 80 percent spike in attacks compared to last year.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of hosting hostile groups that stage attacks from across the border; the Taliban government denies this.