PAKISTAN BUYING U.S. MILITARY WEAPONS IN AFGHANISTAN: REPORT
The US weapons — which were seized by the Taliban after American troops withdrawal –are being openly sold in shops by Afghan gun dealers who paid government soldiers and Taliban members for guns and ammunition
Pakistan is reportedly buying US military weapons from the Afghan Taliban amid fear that it may fall into the hands of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a new report has revealed.
This comes as talks are taking place between the Imran Khan government and banned outfit over a comprehensive ceasefire.
Since the Taliban took power in Kabul in mid-August, cross-border violence has shot up in Pakistan and so has the major operation against militants in North Waziristan, the last stronghold of the TTP.
Back in August, reports had emerged that the Taliban was supplying a huge quantity of American weapons captured by it from the Afghan Army to Pakistan.
The US weapons — which were seized by the Taliban after American troops withdrawal –are being openly sold in shops by Afghan gun dealers who paid government soldiers and Taliban members for guns and ammunition, The New York Times reported last month.
Under a US training and assistance program — that had cost American taxpayers more than USD 83 billion through two decades of war — the equipment was originally provided to the Afghan security forces, the report had said.
After the US troops left Afghanistan, the Taliban amassed a large number of weapons. Pentagon officials earlier had pointed out that advanced weaponry was disabled before troops left, but thousands of weapons were still available for the Taliban, according to the NYT report.
Meanwhile, top military officers in India feel that these weapons would be first used for violence in Pakistan itself by the ISI-bred terrorist groups before they are able to make their way to India.
Senior military officers said the weapons are expected to be provided to terror groups operating in India as well but the security forces are fully prepared to tackle those who would attempt to use them here.
“There are a lot of inputs that suggest that these American-origin weapons especially small arms are being sent to Pakistan. But the way terror groups have been emboldened there by the Taliban victory, there is a possibility of these weapons being used for violence in Pakistan itself,” said senior military officers while discussing the Afghan war outcome with ANI.
Source: Economic Times
