Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Pakistan has endorsed a U.S. plan to recover military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, citing growing security concerns over its use by terrorist groups, the country’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, speaking at a media briefing, stated that Pakistan supports the U.S. reclaiming its weapons but denied claims that Islamabad is actively facilitating the process. “This is a matter between Afghanistan and the U.S.,” he said, but added that weapons left behind have been found in the hands of terrorists operating inside Pakistan. “If Washington retrieves them, it would help regional security,” he noted.
The comments follow Pakistan’s recent extradition of Mohammad Sharifullah, an ISIS operative linked to the deadly August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate. The move was praised by President Donald Trump in a March 4 address to Congress, with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz later discussing the U.S. weapons issue with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed Dar “appreciated” Trump’s decision to recover military equipment.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, the Islamic Emirate, has firmly rejected the idea of returning U.S. military assets, calling them “spoils of war” and dismissing concerns that they pose a threat to regional security.
