Former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on Friday that Pakistan’s military was reportedly recruiting Afghans to fight armed groups opposed to Islamabad, warning that relations with Kabul were likely to worsen.
His remarks come amid months of allegations by lawmakers, political parties and rights activists that former Afghan soldiers and police officers are being deployed alongside Pakistani forces in Balochistan.
In a post on X, Khalilzad said there had been numerous reports that Pakistan was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“Now there are reports that the Pakistani military is recruiting Afghans to fight against anti-Pakistan insurgents,” he wrote, adding that relations between the two countries were likely to “get much worse”.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected the allegations on Saturday as “baseless and misleading”, accusing Khalilzad of repeating “speculative narratives” in support of the Taliban government.
The ministry said Pakistan’s operations against groups based in Afghanistan should not be confused with “allegations of recruiting Afghan nationals or sponsoring armed groups inside Afghanistan”.
Citing UN monitoring reports on the presence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, it accused Khalilzad of diverting attention from Kabul’s responsibility to prevent attacks against Pakistan.
‘Government-Sponsored Armed Groups’
Khan, a former Afghan soldier living in Pakistan, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that a former Afghan police officer backed by local officials had repeatedly approached him to join operations in Balochistan.
In its September 15 report, the broadcaster withheld Khan’s real name for security reasons. He said he had refused the offers and eventually moved elsewhere after the approaches continued.
“I personally know several individuals who have joined these government-sponsored armed groups, which are headed by a former Afghan police officer,” he said.
Those who joined received about Rs40,000 a month and were introduced to police stations in their assigned areas, Khan said, allowing them to carry weapons and pass checkpoints without difficulty.
A separate source who monitored armed groups in the region told RFE/RL that nearly 2,000 former Afghan soldiers and police officers had been recruited.
Also Read | Former Afghan Soldiers Recruited to Fight Baloch Insurgency, Investigation Finds
Questions about their presence had also reached the Balochistan Assembly, where Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Fazal Qadir Mandokhail alleged that thousands of personnel who had served under former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani had been brought into his area.
Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar subsequently said anyone making such claims should produce evidence. The Balochistan government maintained that it had no verified information or evidence supporting the allegation.
Read More | Balochistan Assembly Hears Claim of Former Afghan Soldiers Being Present in Pakistan
‘This Relationship Should Not Be Sacrificed’
On October 8, the Balochistan National Party (BNP) alleged that former Afghan security personnel were being used against the Baloch population, warning that reliance on such groups as proxies could deepen tensions and damage longstanding ties between Baloch and Afghan communities.
The party appealed to Afghan leaders, elders and civil society not to take part in actions that could contribute to human rights violations against Baloch people.
Read More | BNP Alleges Former Afghan Forces Being Used Against Baloch Population in Balochistan
Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Dr Mahrang Baloch had voiced similar concerns in a statement from Hudda Jail in July. She said residents had reported former Afghan personnel participating in operations in Zehri and establishing a camp at a school in Mastung with the support of Pakistani forces.
Mahrang urged Afghanistan’s former political leadership to investigate the allegations and prevent former military personnel from participating in abuses against Baloch people.
“This relationship should not be sacrificed to any state project, any temporary interest or any provisional political arrangement,” she said.
Related News
Pakistan Using Former Afghan Military Personnel Against Baloch Groups: Iranian Media