PESHAWAR: Security forces and law enforcement agencies have arrested a man formerly associated with the Afghan National Army (ANA) for allegedly carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan, it emerged on Wednesday.

At a media briefing, Additional Inspector (AIG) General Abbas Ahsan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police claimed the suspect, identified as Hikmatullah alias Hamza, was arrested during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber district’s Tirah valley.

“The suspect was arrested on November 7. He had served in the Afghan National Army before joining militant organisations,” Abbas claimed.

He added that the “Kharji” had been associated with several groups, including the banned Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, and had allegedly confessed to carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

According to Abbas, Hikmatullah hailed from Mangyar village in the Chamkani area of Afghanistan’s Paktia province.

“From his arrest, we have learned who his facilitators are here, who has been assisting him, who his facilitators in Afghanistan are, where he received training and where he planned to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan,” he added.

Abbas further claimed that Hikmatullah had received three months of military training and three months of commando training with the ANA. After the ANA was dissolved, he began using his skills in various madressahs (seminaries), Abbas said.

Mehmood Jan Babar, spokesperson for the designated areas, who was also present at the briefing, said Afghan soil was constantly being used against Pakistan. He claimed that Hikmatullah had been planning similar attacks.

“Pakistan has always presented its case before the world, along with evidence,” Babar said.

“It is not just one terrorist, but a whole series, a chain that shows no sign of coming to an end. They take advantage of the cover of darkness, come to Pakistan and try to plan [terrorist activities].”

Babar further asserted: “But they do not know that Pakistan’s sons are ready and waiting to welcome them on its soil.”

Pak-Afghan tensions

Ties between the two neighbours have been strained in the past few years as Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP, that it says are used for attacks in Pakistan.

For their part, the Afghan Taliban have avoided taking a categorical position on the TTP and other groups, while rejecting Islamabad’s allegations that Afghanistan is being used as a base for attacks against Pakistan.

On Sept 21, in response to major terrorist attacks in KP, Pakistan conducted “calibrated” airstrikes in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts, with the government saying more than 28 terrorists were killed.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, which was launched on the night of Feb 26 in response to unprovoked cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban.

Days later, Pakistan shot down eight drones launched from across the border that had entered Pakistani airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat. It was also reported that the Afghan Taliban engaged in unprovoked firing the night before near Kurram as security forces foiled an attempt by terrorists to cross into Pakistan.

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that Washington has “heard” Pakistan’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and that if there was a productive role for them to play, they would do so.