Naseer Ahmad Faiq: Afghan Civilians Should Not Pay the Price for Taliban-Pakistan Dispute

DID Press: Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, has condemned Pakistan’s recent attacks on Afghanistan, saying that the dispute between Islamabad and the Taliban over the activities of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) should not come at the cost of Afghan civilian lives.

Faiq said Afghan civilians should not become victims of the dispute between the Taliban and Pakistan. His remarks come after recent Pakistani airstrikes in Kunar and Helmand, where the United Nations reported that at least 10 civilians were killed and nine others injured, most of them children.

Faiq said the Taliban’s policies regarding sheltering and supporting terrorist groups have created security concerns for countries in the region. However, he stressed that counterterrorism efforts cannot justify harming civilians or violating Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.

He further argued that effective counterterrorism requires the establishment of a legitimate, inclusive and accountable government in Afghanistan.The Afghan diplomat called for an immediate end to the fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan and emphasized the need to protect civilians and respect international law.Faiq has also previously condemned Pakistani airstrikes and called for respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pakistan has said its latest strikes targeted militant hideouts and claimed that 22 militants were killed. Those claims have not been independently verified.