Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid:Pakistan will soon lack the courage to attack Afghanistan

Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the defence minister of the Taliban government, said after returning from a visit to Moscow that efforts are underway to ensure Pakistan can no longer carry out air strikes against Afghanistan. He also described statements by Pakistani officials claiming that terrorism originates from Afghanistan as stemming from “unfounded fear”, implicitly accusing Islamabad of attempting to present a misleading image of Afghanistan. Mujahid confirmed that Kabul and Moscow have reached an agreement on the repair and restoration of Russian-made equipment and weapons in Afghanistan, but stressed that the agreement is technical and military in nature and has no defensive or security dimension. The remarks come at a time when, despite a reduction in direct tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, disagreements between the two sides over security issues and allegations regarding the use of Afghan territory against Pakistan continue.