Pakistan has right to target terrorists across Afghan border, says Asif

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has right to take action against terrorists based across its border with Afghanistan, its defence minister said Tuesday, adding they would not remain quiet on martyrdom of their troops.

The statement comes a day after five Pakistani troops embraced martyrdom in an attack by terrorists, based across the border, on a Pakistani ckeckpost in Mohmand Agency.

The soldiers embraced martyrdom while foiling a terrorism bid on three border checkpoints in Mohmand Agency on Sunday night, according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The shootout between army personnel and terrorists also left at least 15 militants dead.

"Terrorists must be denied freedom of movement along the border," Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa was quoted as saying in a statement. He lauded the immediate response of the personnel, however, expressed grief over the loss of precious lives.

"Kabul has admitted that it does not have control over areas from where terrorist attacks are launched and, after this admission, Pakistan has the right to act against those terrorists," Asif said, speaking exclusively to Geo News.

Pakistan has recently conducted strikes across the Afghan border and it will pound terrorists in future as well, he said, adding, "We will not stay quiet if our soldiers are martyred".

"It is our duty to respond to these cross-border attacks and we will respond befittingly," the minister said.

He said that at present there has been a nexus between New Delhi and Afghanistan and Kabul has been acting as Indian puppet.

"Our desire for cordial ties with Afghanistan aside, but responding to cross-border attacks from the Afghan soil is our duty," Asif said.

Terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan

Of late, Pakistan has voiced concerns over terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan, from where majority of last month's attacks were believed to be coordinated.

In February, Pakistani diplomatic officials summoned the Afghan deputy head of mission to the Foreign Office to convey their concerns over continuing attacks by terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Ahrar from its sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also held a telephonic conversation with US General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan on February 17, conveying his concerns over continued acts of terrorism in Pakistan from Afghanistan, the ISPR said in a statement.

"Most of the incidents in Pakistan are claimed by terrorist organisations with leadership hiding in Afghanistan," Gen Bajwa told US General John Nicholson.

"The COAS said that such terrorist activities and inaction against them are testing our current policy of cross-border restraint," the ISPR said in a statement.

Commenting on Asif Ali Zardari's statement on Rangers powers in provinces, he said he paramilitary force has been given same powers everywhere it has been called in to aid law enforcement agencies.

The former president could better know of what he said about Rangers powers, he added.