• “Sophisticated weapons” being used by terrorists, says FO.
• Int’l community, Afghan authorities urged to address this issue.
• Pakistan seeks friendly, cooperative ties with Afghanistan: FO.

Amid an alarming rise in incidents of cross-border terrorism, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday that Pakistan remained concerned over weapons left behind by the United States following its hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The US left behind $7 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan, which was quickly seized by Taliban fighters as they swept the country during a lightning offensive, according to a report by the US Department of Defence in 2022.

Addressing the weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, FO Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said these ‘sophisticated weapons’ were being used by terrorists for attacks inside Pakistan.

“We have impressed upon the international community and Afghan authorities to address this issue,” he added.

Shafqat further said that Pakistan desired a friendly and cooperative relationship with Afghanistan, but the stumbling block in the way of progress was the sanctuaries enjoyed by terrorists on Afghan territory.

He said Pakistan would continue to pursue various channels of communications with the Afghan authorities to address this matter.

Referring to the closure of Torkham border crossing, the spokesperson said operational constraints forced Pakistan to take this action.

“The Afghan side is trying to construct a border post on our side unilaterally,” he noted, adding that Islamabad had urged the authorities in Kabul to resolve such issues through bilateral mechanisms such as a Joint Coordination Committee meeting instead of resorting to unilateral actions.

He hoped the matter would be resolved through dialogue.

Responding to another question, the spokesperson said that the F-16 oversight program is a regular feature of Pakistan-US defence collaboration.

“Pakistan welcomes its continuation,” he said, adding that this was a robust and dense relationship, expressing Pakistan’s commitment to carrying this relationship forward.

In January this year, the FO said that the advanced weapons had been an issue of profound concern for the safety and security of Pakistan and its citizens.

“These weapons, left behind in the aftermath of the withdrawal of its troops in August 2021, have been used by terrorist organisations, including the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], to carry out terrorist attacks in Pakistan,” FO spokesperson had added. 

Pakistan had been “repeatedly calling upon the de facto authorities in Kabul to take all necessary measures to ensure that these weapons do not fall into the wrong hands,” he had added. 

The statement comes as US President Donald Trump called for the return of billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan after the 2021 American troop withdrawal, according to media reports.

The reports said that the president also pressed for the removal of US generals involved in what he described as a disastrous exit.

“We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks,” Trump said during his first Cabinet meeting Wednesday, FOX News quoted him as saying.

He said the Afghan Taliban were selling the military weapons and gear, making Afghanistan, in Trump’s words, “one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world.”