Muttaqi: Pakistan Has Launched New Project to Destabilize Afghanistan and Region

DID Press: Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, said at the eighth Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan that Pakistan has launched a new project aimed at challenging security in Afghanistan and the wider region.

Muttaqi alleged that Pakistan’s military authorities, alongside members of the former Afghan government’s security forces and Islamic State members, had begun practical efforts to create insecurity in Afghanistan.

He further claimed that Pakistan had deployed thousands of armed individuals near the de facto Durand Line to challenge the stability that currently exists in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi said the movements of these forces in Nuristan, Badakhshan and some other areas had failed, adding that this was clear to everyone.

He also stressed that the Taliban administration independently formulates its domestic and foreign policies and would not retreat from its fundamental policies as a result of external pressure.

Muttaqi described defending Afghanistan against any aggression as the country’s legitimate right and stressed the Taliban administration’s readiness to confront security threats.

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Reuters reported on Monday that Muttaqi said disputes between the two countries could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, while also asserting Afghanistan’s right to self-defense against aggression.