Pakistan buying US weapons in Afghanistan to strengthen security against TTP: Reports

In the aftermath of the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan, Islamabad is reportedly buying the former's military weapons from the Afghan Taliban, a new report has revealed. The report has stated that Pakistan is buying US military weapons from the Afghan Taliban amid fear that the weapons may fall into the hands of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The report has come up at a time when Imran Khan's government is holding talks with the banned Pakistani terrorist organisation over a comprehensive ceasefire. 

Following the hasty withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan after over two decades of war, the Taliban seized power. The same has resulted in a surge in cross-border violence in Pakistan. Moreover, operations against terrorists in North Waziristan, the last TTP stronghold have also increased. Earlier too, several reports had emerged that the Taliban was supplying Islamabad with a huge quantity of American weapons that it captured from the Afghan Army. 

"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," as per a report in the New York Times

The report had added that the equipment was originally provided to the Afghan security forces under a US training and assistance programme that had cost American taxpayers more than USD 83 billion through two decades of war. 

Taliban denies selling weapons to Pakistan 

However, the Taliban on Friday refuted reports that the outfit was selling weapons left behind by troops of the United States to Pakistan. According to TOLOnews, Inamullah Samangani, the deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate denied the report. It added that the Taliban's deputy spokesman stated that the country's government 'has security departments which need the military equipment'. 

"The Islamic Emirate denies this report ... Afghanistan today has an independent government and this government has security departments. The security departments need the military equipment," said Inamullah Samangani, the deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, reported Tolo News.

Earlier it was also reported that Pakistan sought to buy military weapons left by US forces in Afghanistan. After the US conducted a rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan in August, much of American military equipment remained in the country. Based on the reports, the US left behind military equipment worth 85 billion dollars in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

With ANI inputs