Pthe guards were replaced by regular army troops to keep out militants, military personnel and refugees from Afghanistan. The Pakistani Interior Ministry stressed that they will not allow the parties to the Afghan conflict to use their territory
The Armed Forces of Pakistan arrived at the Afghan-Pakistani border in order to prevent militants and military personnel from Afghanistan from entering the country. This was stated by the Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the Dawn newspaper reports.
According to him, the army has replaced the border service officers. “Now the border is manned by regular army troops, who have replaced paramilitary formations,” Ahmed said.
The Minister noted that the unstable situation on the border persists and it requires an increased presence of troops, since border guards have to restrain not only refugees fleeing from Afghanistan, but also retreating militants and the military of a neighboring state.
“If the Afghan troops enter Pakistan, fleeing from the fighting, there is a possibility that the Taliban (a terrorist organization, banned in Russia. & mdash; RBC) will follow them and the conflict will spread to the territory of Pakistan, ” a source in the Ministry of Defense told the publication.
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At the same time, Ahmed stressed that the armed conflict in Afghanistan between government forces and the Taliban is exclusively an internal matter of the country, and Islamabad is not going to accept one of the parties.
“It’s time for Afghan politicians and their military leadership to learn how to solve their problems. We do not want the Pakistani land to be used by any party in the Afghan conflict, ” the Interior Minister said.
The Taliban’s large-scale offensive in Afghanistan began in June, when the US and its allies almost completely withdrew their troops. The Afghan military, retreating after clashes with militants, went to the territory of neighboring Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
On July 22, the Taliban declared that it controls 90% of the border of Afghanistan, including with Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran, with the exception of small sections.
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