Pakistan’s stern warning to Afghanistan government

Pakistan’s stern warning to Afghanistan government

Pakistan fired off a sharp warning Sunday to Afghanistan’s hardlinereligious rulers to stop sheltering homegrown Pakistani Taliban militantswho have staged increasingly deadly attacks against the country’s military.

The warning followed Afghan reports that Pakistani aircraft late Fridaycarried out bombing raids in Afghanistan’s eastern Khost and Kunarprovinces, killing civilians.

Pakistan has so far refused to comment on the Afghan allegations, insteadaccusing the Afghan Taliban of doing nothing to stop attacks againstPakistan by militants in Afghanistan.

“Terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity to carry out activitiesinside Pakistan,” said a Foreign Ministry statement, which was unusuallyharsh in its language.DIPLOMAT BRIEFWEEKLY NEWSLETTERN

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Pakistan was often accused of harboring Afghanistan’s Taliban fightersbefore they swept to power last August as America ended its 20-year war.Since their takeover, Islamabad has led the way in pressing the world toengage with the religiously driven Afghan government.