Pakistan rejects ex-US envoy Khalilzad’s 'baseless' allegations of arming Afghans to fight Taliban

The information ministry of Pakistan has dismissed former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad's allegations that Pakistan was aiding the Taliban by arming Afghan fighters. Khalilzad, who served as the U.S. special representative to Afghanistan during the Trump administration, made these claims in a recent statement. The ministry's response, posted on social media platform X, described Khalilzad's allegations as "baseless and misleading."

The ministry's fact-checker account emphasized that Khalilzad's assertions were "peddling unsubstantiated allegations" and questioned his agenda-driven stance. The ministry highlighted that Pakistan is actively engaged in counterterrorism operations against terrorist groups operating within Afghanistan, and any claims otherwise are misleading.

The ministry also pointed out that the United Nations' monitoring reports continue to document the presence and activities of terrorist organizations, including the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda, in Afghanistan. Khalilzad's allegations, the ministry argued, divert attention from the Taliban regime's responsibility to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan.

The information ministry previously criticized Khalilzad for spreading false information about the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) presence in Punjab. In the past, Khalilzad has called for a negotiated settlement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, though these calls have been met with skepticism. The two countries have experienced strained relations in recent years due to concerns over cross-border terrorism.

In September, Pakistan conducted strikes in response to terrorist attacks, followed by drone incursions and retaliatory airstrikes.