Pakistan responds to rocket attack from Afghanistan

DG ISPR says US was told terrorists will flee to Afghanistan; Kabul didn’t take action to make Zarb-e-Azb a success; Kabul tells Islamabad to fight terrorists; General Raheel Sharif starts US visit

RAWALPINDI: Five rockets were fired from the Afghan side towards the Pak-Afghan Gate at Angoor Adda, South Wazirastan, on Sunday afternoon.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a press release said that the rockets landed near the Pak-Afghan Gate inside the Pakistani territory. Pakistan also fired in the direction from where the rockets were fired. No loss of life or property was reported.

Wajid Ali Syed adds from Washington: Pakistan Army’s chief spokesman Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa said on Sunday that Pakistan had told the United States earlier that during the Operation Zarb-e-Azb terrorists would flee to Afghanistan, adding that Kabul needed to do more to make the operation against terrorists a success.

Speaking to media representatives shortly before Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif was expected to land for a five-day visit, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general said Pakistan had warned that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb could push the militants across the border who could escape into Afghanistan.

“The forces in Afghanistan should have worked with Pakistan to take action against such militants. Zarb-e-Azb has gained successes but it needs support from Afghanistan.”

He said the Afghanistan government was party responsible for this, since they did not take action.

However, the ISPR chief said now instead of debating what went wrong in the past, we should look forward and focus on how to deal with terrorists more effectively and with joint cooperation.

Speaking about Gen Raheel’s visit, he said the COAS on his visit will discuss the situation in the region besides bilateral military-to-military relations as well as regional security and stability.

He clarified that regional stability included the situation on the eastern borders of Pakistan as well. “That needs to be settled for the expanding stability in the region.”

Gen Bajwa clarified reports in the media about the invitation to General Raheel for the US visit.“The Washington visit was planned in July and was part of a military leadership exchange programme. The invitation came from the US military leadership,” Bajwa said.

The army chief will spend five days in the US and will also go to Ivory Coast to spend a day with the Pakistani troops. General Raheel will also visit Brazil for three days.

INP adds: Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference, Afghan president’s spokesperson Zafar Hashmi has said that if Pakistan wants to become a friend of Afghanistan, she needs to eliminate the terrorist groups on its soil that have been waging a war against Kabul.

He said if Pakistan wants to prove its loyalty to Afghanistan, its prime minister should act upon his slogan of “an enemy of Afghanistan is enemy of Pakistan”. He said his government will act against all the Taliban and IS terrorists.—Originally published in The News