RASC News Agency: In response to Pakistan’s arrest and extradition of the alleged mastermind behind the Kabul airport attack, the Taliban’s spokesperson asserted that this development underscores the existence of ISIS sanctuaries within Pakistan’s borders. Zabihullah Mujahid accused Islamabad of weaponizing ISIS as a strategic instrument to advance its own geopolitical objectives. Hamidullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, reinforced these claims, contending that the apprehension of an ISIS operative in Pakistan serves as irrefutable proof that the country has evolved into both a training ground and a refuge for the terrorist group. He further argued that this incident definitively confirms the absence of ISIS in Afghanistan.
In contrast, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif refuted these assertions, maintaining that the architect of the Kabul airport attack was an Afghanistani national captured during an intelligence-led operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Following the suspect’s arrest, Pakistan transferred him to U.S. authorities. Zabihullah Mujahid escalated his accusations against Islamabad, alleging in an interview with Ariana News that ISIS maintains operational bases within Pakistan’s Balochistan province and functions under the patronage of the Pakistani military establishment.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, in an address to a joint session of Congress on March 5, reaffirmed that the primary orchestrator of the 2021 Kabul airport bombing which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and over 170 Afghanistani civilians was apprehended with Pakistan’s assistance. Trump publicly expressed gratitude to Islamabad for its cooperation in the operation. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed Trump’s remarks, reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to strengthening counterterrorism collaboration with Washington and enhancing regional security.
Additionally, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, in a phone conversation with the country’s National Security Advisor, endorsed the retrieval of U.S. military equipment from the Taliban, aligning with broader strategic objectives. These developments unfold against the backdrop of escalating hostilities between Pakistan and the Taliban. The two sides have been engaged in armed clashes at the Torkham border for several days. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province recently witnessed a large-scale militant offensive, prompting Pakistani officials to once again attribute the surge in violence to the Taliban.
