The Taliban on Monday mocked Pakistan and warned it would not respond appropriately after the country’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah hinted at a possible military operation against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Afghanistan.
Taliban leader and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Yasir mocked Pakistan by posting on Twitter a photo of Islamabad surrendering to India after the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
“Interior Minister of Pakistan! Excellent sir! Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan are not Turkey to attack the Kurds in Syria. This is Afghanistan, the graveyard of proud empires. Don’t think of a military attack on us, otherwise there will be a shameful repeat of the military deal with India,” Yasir said.
د پاکستان داخله وزیر ته!
عالي جنابه! افغانستان سوريه او پاکستان ترکیه نده چې کردان په سوریه کې په نړي.
دا افغانستان دى د مغرورو امپراتوريو هديره.
” pic.twitter.com/FFu8DyBgio— Ahmad Yasir (@AhmadYasir711) January 2, 2023
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The iconic photo shared by the Taliban leader shows the commander of the Pakistan Army in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Lt. Gen. Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, accepting the decisive defeat and signing the “Instrument of Surrender” in Dhaka in the presence of the commanding general -Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Indian and Bangladeshi Armed Forces at the Eastern Theater Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora in 1971.
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Later in the day, the Afghan Defense Ministry issued a statement refuting claims by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry that there were TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, calling it “false and provocative.”
“In the past, such provocative statements and claims have damaged relations between the two countries. We urge Pakistan to share its concerns with the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA) and to resolve the matter through dialogue,” IEA Interim Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoub said in a statement.
“Afghanistan is not abandoned or without an heir and as always ready to defend its country and territorial security and freedom. Any attempted attack on Afghanistan will be responded to appropriately. We are well prepared to respond to any offensive,” the statement added.
In a recent interview with a Pakistani news channel, the minister said Islamabad could target the TTP in Afghanistan if Kabul doesn’t eliminate them.
“When these problems arise, we first ask Afghanistan, our Islamic brother nation, to clear up these hiding spots and hand over these individuals to us, but if that doesn’t happen, what you mentioned is possible,” Sanaullah had said.