Pakistan Denies Reports of Freed Afghan Prisoners Crossing Over, Accuses India of 'Hybrid Warfare'

The Taliban has reportedly freed prisoners from Kabul's Pul-e-Charkhi and Badam Bagh prisons since taking over the Afghan capital on 15 August. According to reports, many of the freed prisoners have links to Pakistan-based terrorist groups and have been on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed rejected claims that Afghan prisoners freed by the Taliban have been seeking refuge in the country, as he blamed India for spreading rumours over the matter.

"No Afghan refugee (mujahir) has crossed over into Pakistan since 14 August. I have seen reports in sections of the Indian media. I reject the claims," the Pakistani minister said at a press conference.

The cabinet minister disclosed that Pakistan had so far “successfully brought back” nearly 900 foreign diplomats and journalists fleeing Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of Kabul. “All of them have landed at Nur Khan Airport (Rawalpindi). It is for the world to see and corroborate our claims,” he stated.

The Pakistani minister revealed that 100-120 Pakistani nationals aboard three buses had been cleared by the authorities on Wednesday morning. “Overall, 613 Pakistanis have been evacuated from Afghanistan since 14 August,” he said.

Ahmed further claimed that both the border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan were “stable” and “well-secured”, amid news reports in the wake of Afghans fleeing the Taliban making their way into the neighbouring nation. “Both our border crossings of Torkhman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Spin Boldak (Balochistan province) are operating smoothly,” stated the federal minister.

Citing sources, several Indian media reports have claimed that Pakistan has been sending and receiving militants from anti-India terror outfits since the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban. 

Further, Indian officials have also been quoted as saying that Pakistani authorities have been helping in moving the terror camps to Afghanistan to avoid international scrutiny. Officials in Delhi reckon that one such terrorist camp exists in Helmand province, which borders Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, addressing another press conference in Multan city, also rejected the claims, saying that “hybrid warfare” was behind the spread of such claims.

“This is fifth generation warfare. We should be aware of who is behind spreading fake news,” stated Qureshi, in a veiled reference to Delhi.

He noted that Islamabad has already flagged the role of Indian websites involved in spreading “anti-Pakistan propaganda” on a global scale in December last year.

An investigation by Brussels-based nonprofit EU Disinfo Lab has claimed that 265 Indian websites were involved in spreading “disinformation” on Pakistan. However, the probe didn’t link these websites to the Indian government.