ISLAMABAD: The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has started taking steps to shift terrorist groups away from the regions along the country's border with Pakistan to other parts after a series of recent attacks drew strong reaction from Islamabad.
Officials familiar with the development told The Express Tribune on Sunday that Pakistan after recent spate of cross-border terrorist attacks conveyed to the Afghan Taliban in clear terms to take action against terrorist groups or face the consequences. In response to Islamabad's strong message, the Taliban have decided to persuade the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates to move from border regions to other areas of Afghanistan.
"Some of the groups have already been moved out of our border regions," said a senior Pakistani official, who deals with the issue. Pakistan, the official said, though doesn't agree with the approach but accept the Taliban's decision to at least to stop immediate cross-border terrorist attacks.
"Our demand is clear that these groups must be eliminated or dealt with in a manner that they never pose threat to us again," the official added. There has been a surge in cross-border terrorist attacks in recent weeks with scores of Pakistani soldiers being killed.
Pakistan reportedly carried out air strikes in Kunar and Khost provinces of Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorist hideouts. (IANS)
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