(Web Desk) – Afghanistan's interim government has said it will investigate the terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan, a local media outlet reported on Wednesday.
“Kabul will investigate the attack,” the report cites Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, as saying.
While Afghanistan has consistently asserted that it will not permit the use of its territory against Pakistan, the country has recently witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
According to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, there was a 34 percent increase in anti-state violence last month. The report highlighted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the most affected province, recording 51 attacks, resulting in 54 fatalities and 81 injuries.
Mujahid expressed shock over the DI Khan terrorist attack in Pakistan, and pledged to examine the demands put forth by the Pakistani authorities.
Pakistan on Tuesday demanded the Taliban government in Afghanistan apprehend and hand over the perpetrators of the grisly suicide bombing in Dera Ismail Khan that resulted in the deaths of over 23 soldiers.
The responsibility for the deadly suicide attack was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a terrorist outfit affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Following the incident, Pakistan’s Foreign Office delivered a strong demarche to the Afghan interim government calling for an investigation and strict action against the perpetrators.
Pakistan called for apprehending and handing over the perpetrators of the attack as well as the TTP leadership in Afghanistan, and taking all necessary measures to deny the persistent use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
The Afghan government was also asked to publicly condemn the terrorist incident at the highest level and promptly take verifiable actions against all terrorist groups and their sanctuaries.
However, Mujahid countered the accusations, asserting that Afghanistan should not be held responsible for every issue, saying that the attack occurred on Pakistan's own soil, hundreds of kilometres away from Afghanistan.
He highlighted Pakistan's robust security forces and suggested that the attack should have been prevented.
Mujahid further said that Kabul did not permit the use of its soil for aggression against Pakistan or any other country. He pledged to investigate further if provided with relevant information, emphasising the need for Pakistan to concentrate on its security concerns.