No evidence that Pakistan was along with Taliban fighters: Pentagon
The Pentagon has said it has seen no evidence to corroborate reports that there were Pakistan nationals along with the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. "I have not seen anything to corroborate that report," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference on Thursday when asked about the reported allegations by former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani.
Ghani had alleged that Pakistan had sent between 10,000 to 15,000 of its men along with the Taliban to capture Kabul and Afghanistan. "As we said before, Pakistan has a shared interest in the safe havens that exist along that border, and they, too, have become, and have been victims of terrorist activity," Kirby said.
Report on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal security has been sought
"And I mean, I think that's something that we all share in common is helping each other and not become victims to those kinds of attacks from that part of the world," he added. Meanwhile, a key Congressional committee has unanimously adopted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act seeking a report from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal security.
It seeks report on vulnerability of nuclear arsenal to seizure
The amendment moved by Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney was adopted by House Armed Services Committee by a voice vote on Wednesday. It seeks a report from the Defense Secretary on the vulnerability of the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan to seizure or control. This includes considerations of known extremism among personnel of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and the possibility of terror threats from Afghanistan.
Taliban to name Hibatullah Akhundzada as government head; announcement soon
To note, the Taliban has also said that the discussions on forming a new government are finalized and a formal announcement of the same will be made soon. The Taliban's top leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, will reportedly be the head of the new Afghanistan government.
