Maulvi Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the acting defense minister, claimed on Sunday that US drones had invaded Afghanistan through Pakistan and had asked Islamabad to prevent the use of its airspace against Kabul.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al Qaeda, was assassinated in Kabul by a US drone hit in July. Pakistan has refuted any involvement in Zawahiri’s murder.
Yaqub Mujahid pleaded with Islamabad not to use its airspace against the movement as he spoke to media on the accomplishments and activities of his ministry over the previous year. He added that according to their intelligence, US drones infiltrated Afghanistan from Pakistani soil.
Read More: Aftermath of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Killing
امریکی ڈرون پاکستانی فضاء سے افغانستان میں داخل ہورہے ہیں۔ یہ افغان خودمختاری پر حملہ ہے، پاکستان سے مطالبہ کرتے ہیں کہ اپنی فضائی حدود ہمارے خلاف استعمال نہ ہونے دے(افغان وزیر دفاع ملا یعقوب )۔ اللہ جن کی نصرت کرے اور تم ان کے خلاف کھڑے ہو جاؤ۔ تو پھر عذاب تو آتے ہےں pic.twitter.com/X6spTsmnI7
— Orya Maqbool Jan (@OryaMaqboolJan) August 28, 2022
Yaqub’s charges were described as “conjectural assertions” by Pakistan. The Foreign Office spokesman issued a statement in which she stated the statement was “very unfortunate” and went against “the principles of responsible diplomatic conduct.”
As a result of the reactivation of the air force’s technical and professional components, the defense minister also stated that more than 60 fixed and mobile aircraft had been prepared for flight, and that 1,380 flights had already been made for a variety of purposes, including transportation, rescuing victims of natural disasters, and supplying the air force.
He claimed that there were now 150,000 members of the armed forces, and that efforts were currently being made to purge the ranks of undesirable individuals while also filling them with fresh recruits.
According to Yaqub, the Ministry of Defense has consistently taken serious, fair actions against threats to Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, both present and potential, and its forces are dedicated to the values of non-interference, good neighbourliness, and reciprocal respect.
“We have eight border brigades and each has around 3,000 armed forces, and we defend our land under all conditions.”
The minister said that more than 40 pilots, engineers, and other professional Air Force employees have resumed their work as a result of the efforts of authorities in his ministry.
In response to a query, he stated that the Afghan government owned the helicopters and planes that had been transported to the neighboring countries after the regime change and that the military ministry was working to bring them back. According to him, security personnel have rescued thousands of individuals who were stranded due to recent floods around the nation.
Pakistan’s response to Taliban’s accusations
The charges made by the acting defense minister of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, about the use of Pakistan’s airspace in the US drone campaign to combat terrorism in Afghanistan were “noted with serious concern,” according to Pakistan.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, stated in a statement, “Such conjectural claims are deeply unfortunate and contravene the principles of responsible diplomatic behavior in the absence of any evidence, as admitted by the Afghan Minister himself. “We urge the Afghan interim authorities to ensure the fulfillment of international commitments made by Afghanistan not to allow the use of its territory for terrorism against any country,” he added.
Pakistan reiterates its support for the independence and territorial integrity of every state and its opposition to terrorism in all of its manifestations.
We implore the Afghan interim government to ensure that Afghanistan upholds its international obligations not to permit the use of its territory for acts of terrorism against other nations.
Watch Dr. Moeed Pirzada’s Elaborate analysis on the situation.