At a joint press conference with officials from the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi emphasized, “Whether Afghanistan tries the terrorists in a court of law or not, it should hand over the militants to Pakistan.”
The attack in question occurred in March this year, when a suicide bomber targeted a bus transporting staff working on the Dasu hydropower project in Bisham, Shangla district, resulting in the deaths of at least six people, including five Chinese nationals. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, describing it as a cowardly attempt to drive a wedge between Pakistan and China, two long-standing allies.
According to the investigation, the TTP orchestrated the attack from inside Afghanistan. Naqvi stated that Pakistan has formally requested the interim Afghan government to arrest the TTP leadership. Over the past two years, Islamabad has repeatedly expressed serious concerns to Kabul about the presence of terrorist groups, including the banned TTP, within Afghanistan. These groups pose a significant threat to Pakistan’s security, frequently using Afghan territory to launch attacks.
“We have consistently urged the Afghan authorities to take effective action to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against Pakistan. We have also called on them to deny safe havens to the TTP and hand over its leadership to Pakistan,” the Foreign Office reiterated in March.
Naqvi provided updates on the investigation, confirming that agencies have gathered concrete evidence implicating the TTP and Afghan territory in the attack. While emphasizing Pakistan’s desire for friendly relations with Kabul, he noted that cooperation is essential for such ties to flourish. Despite contacting the interim authorities in Kabul, Naqvi lamented that the response has been less than satisfactory.
It’s worth noting that Afghanistan’s acting Deputy Prime Minister, Maulvi Abdul Kabir, assured Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman in January that the Taliban government would prevent Afghan soil from being used against any nation. However, these promises have not been fulfilled. Since the peace talks between the TTP and the Pakistani government collapsed in 2021, there has been a sharp increase in terror attacks within Pakistan, with the TTP officially ending the ceasefire on November 28, leading to hundreds of attacks.
Addressing the media, Naqvi highlighted the importance of Pakistan’s relationship with China, stressing that the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan is a top priority. He reassured that the government is taking all possible measures to ensure their safety.
Necta head Tahir Rai disclosed that the explosive-laden vehicle used in the attack was assembled in Japan and entered Pakistan via Afghanistan. He detailed how the suicide bomber targeted the bus when the driver slowed down near a turn, causing the bus to plunge into a 150-feet deep ravine and catch fire due to the explosives. A mobile phone with two SIMs, one registered to Adil Shah of Mansehra and the other to Shafique Qureshi, was recovered at the scene. Adil Shah was linked to terrorist Hazrat Bilal, and both suspects have been arrested.
Rai added that Khan Lala and Qari Abdullah procured the vehicle for the terrorists in Afghanistan, and a car showroom owner, Imran Swati, was paid Rs260,000 to transport it to Pakistan. So far, 11 suspects have been arrested in connection with this case.
