Pakistani authorities have previously denied involvement or advanced knowledge of a drone strike the United States said it carried out in Kabul in July that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Afghanistan’s deputy defense minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub, told a news conference in Kabul that US drones were entering Afghanistan through Pakistan. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “According to our information, drones are entering through Pakistan into Afghanistan, they are using Pakistan’s airspace, we request Pakistan, don’t use your airspace against us,” he said. A spokesman for the US Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told Reuters he had checked after the airstrike and was told Pakistani airspace was not being used. He said he would check again after Sunday’s complaints, but expected the position to be the same. “I really don’t think this is the time I want to get into a debate with anyone or have accusations… frankly, I’ve been focused on flood relief efforts,” Bhutto-Zardari said in an interview. referring to the deadly floods in Pakistan that have left millions homeless. “The Afghan regime has promised not only its people, but the international community, that it will not allow its territory to be used for terrorists,” he said. Pakistan’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it noted Yakub’s comments with “deep concern”. “In the absence of any evidence, as the Afghan minister himself admitted, such speculative allegations are particularly unfortunate and defy the rules of responsible diplomatic behavior,” the statement said. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the Taliban had “flagrantly violated” the 2020 agreement to withdraw US-led forces from Afghanistan by harboring and protecting Zawahiri. The Taliban said they were investigating the July airstrike and had not found the al Qaeda leader’s body. Yaqoob’s comments could exacerbate tensions between Afghanistan and its neighbor at a time when the Afghan Taliban are mediating talks between Pakistan and a Pakistani Taliban militant group. Afghanistan, which is going through an acute economic crisis, also relies heavily on trade with Pakistan. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reported by Mohammad Yunus Yawar. Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay and Charlotte Greenfield. Written by Charlotte Greenfield. Edited by Christopher Cushing and Catherine Evans Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
