RASC News Agency: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has declared that Afghanistan has become a sanctuary for terrorist groups, calling for heightened global awareness of the Taliban’s role in regional instability. Speaking during a closed-door session of Pakistan’s National Security Committee, Bhutto Zardari stressed the imperative need for Islamabad to adopt a more assertive foreign policy, ensuring that the international community fully recognizes the security threats emanating from Afghanistan. “The world cannot afford to disengage from this region,” he warned, adding that those providing financial backing to terrorist organizations must be identified and held accountable.
His remarks follow a major security crisis in Pakistan, triggered by the Jaafar Express train attack in Balochistan, where over 400 individuals, including members of the Pakistani military, were taken hostage an incident that has amplified fears of escalating militant activity in the country. In the wake of this attack, Pakistani authorities have pointed fingers at both India and the Taliban in Afghanistan, alleging their direct involvement in orchestrating the assault. The Pakistani military spokesperson asserted that the attack was planned and executed from Afghanistan soil. However, the Taliban have categorically rejected these allegations, urging Islamabad to address its own internal security failures rather than shifting blame onto Afghanistan.
In response, Pakistan has escalated the matter on the international stage. Its representative at the United Nations has formally filed a complaint against India and the Taliban, accusing them of sponsoring terrorist activities in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defense Minister has issued a stark warning, stating that Islamabad is prepared to launch targeted strikes inside Afghanistan should Taliban-backed militants continue to pose a threat to Pakistan’s security.
