Pakistan seeks global attention on US arms left in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday that the weapons left in Afghanistan during the US withdrawal require global attention as they had “fallen in the hands of terrorists”.

Her statement regarding military equipment comes days after Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister claimed that US military equipment left behind during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan had fallen into militant hands.

The equipment — which includes a wide variety of items, from night vision goggles to firearms — is now “emerging as a new challenge” for Islamabad, Prime Minister Anwaarul-Haq Kakar had said while speaking to foreign journalists.

However, reiterating PM Kakar’s stance, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in a weekly media briefing, stated that Pakistan has informed the interim Afghan government about its concerns regarding the recent incident along the border.

“These modern weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists in Afghanistan who are using these [weapons] to attack Pakistan and its security agencies,” she said.

The weaponry that is available in Afghanistan and has now reached terror entities continue to pose a threat to Pakistan, she added.

FO spokesperson said that the current situation needs international attention and called upon all stakeholders to assume the responsibility that they have in this regard.

The spokesperson said Pakistan and the United States have a robust dialogue on multiple areas including on security and counter terrorism matters.

Pakistan has been communicating with the US and other partners both inside and outside the region about Pakistan’s security concerns, she said.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eradicate the menace of terrorism.