Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group Uses Afghanistan Soil Against Pakistan, Says Islamabad

On Friday, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group consistently uses Afghan soil against Pakistan.

Baloch emphasised that the Afghan Taliban must take serious action against groups involved in "terrorist attacks" in Pakistan.

In her weekly press conference, she said that the Pakistani government is engaged in combating terrorist activities within the country, but the terrorist group Hafiz Gul Bahadur has been given refuge in Afghanistan.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur is one of the key commanders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani officials say that this militant commander opposing the Pakistani government resides in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson also acknowledged that the Pakistani government has shared its concerns about the Bannu attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Taliban officials.

Baloch added that "terrorist activities" are a major threat to the bilateral relations between the two countries, endangering Pakistan's stability. She said that terrorists using Afghan soil threaten global peace.

In recent months, the group led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur has claimed responsibility for several bloody attacks in Pakistan.

In the latest incident, the Pakistani army said that on Monday, fighters from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group attacked a military base in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This attack resulted in the deaths of eight Pakistani soldiers.

Pakistani officials said that two of the attackers were Afghans. The Taliban have consistently denied the allegations.