Amid the escalating violence in Afghanistan, Pakistan's interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has admitted that families of Afghan Taliban reside in his country, including in the capital city of Islamabad.
Ahmed also said the Taliban receive medical treatment in Pakistani hospitals, TOLOnews reported amid the fast-approaching deadline of US drawdown from the war-torn country. This comes as Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in violence in the past few weeks due to the Taliban offensive.
"Taliban families live here--in Pakistan, in Rawat, Loi Ber, Bara Kahuh and Tarnol," Rashid told the Urdu-language network in Pakistan citing the names of Islamabad suburbs. "Sometimes their dead bodies arrive and sometimes they come here in hospitals to get medical treatment," he said.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi earlier this month had denied the presence of Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan. He had said that the terrorist group's leaders "are in Afghanistan." Moreover, he denied the existence of such institutions in Pakistan and said he "has been hearing of these terms for now decades."
In an exclusive interview to Tolo News, Qureshi had said, "If you try and create this impression that the violence is high because of Taliban, again, that would be an exaggeration. Why do I say that? Aren't there other elements over there who are playing the role of a spoiler?"
Asked whether Taliban are "funded in Pakistan", Qureshi said: "These are very--those many things that have been going on for years. You're stuck in the old groove. Get of out that groove, please. Get out of that groove. Now, listen, if you remain stuck in this, believe me, you will not be able to travel far. And we want you to travel far. We want reconciliation and peace."
Islamabad has been accused of aiding the Taliban and using them as proxies for its own benefit. However, it continues to deny its connection to the terrorist group despite mounting evidence.
( With inputs from ANI )
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