NATO's Residual Weapons In Afghanistan Fueled Growth Of Terrorism, Says Pakistan's Ex-PM

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar has said that NATO's remaining weapons in Afghanistan have led to an increase in terrorism.

The equipment is now in the hands of militants who pose a serious security threat to the area, he added.

There are reports that American weapons have fallen into the hands of the Pakistani Taliban and that these equipment are being bought and sold in the open market.

“In 2014, terrorism wasn’t defeated — it merely relocated to Afghanistan. When the environment became conducive, militants struck back. We must discourage the phenomenon of rationalising terrorism under any pretext,” Kakar said at a meeting in Islamabad.

The former Pakistani prime minister said, "We cannot leave this region like the Americans who left Afghanistan. If the fight against terrorism takes a century, Pakistan will do it."

Anwar ul Haq Kakar said that this is not just a fight against militants, but a struggle for regional stability.

Kakar spoke at the unveiling of the "Comprehensive National Security Charter" prepared by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies in Islamabad. The ceremony was attended by diplomats, experts and representatives of research centres.