Pakistan asks Afghanistan to dismantle sanctuaries of Pakistani Taliban

The Pakistan army on Tuesday urged the Afghan government to dismantle what it called the " sanctuaries of the Pakistani Taliban leadership" on its side of the border for the success of the ongoing major offensive in North Waziristan tribal region.

Pakistan insists that senior leaders of the Pakistani Taliban militants have regrouped in Afghanistan's border regions and frequently launched attacks on Pakistani posts.

"We expect the Afghan security forces will either eliminate or hand over the Pakistani Taliban chief, Maulvi Fazalullah, who controls his fighters from across the border," military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said at a news briefing.

"The chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is in Afghanistan and from there he controls his fighters sitting here," said Bajwa.

He said the Pakistani government has taken up the issue of Fazalullah and the presence of other TTP leaders with Afghan officials at diplomatic and military levels.

The Afghan government has not officially confirmed the presence of Fazalullah and other Pakistani militants on its soil.

Bajwa said Pakistan has sought cooperation from the Afghan authorities for success of the operation in North Waziristan.

"We have also requested the Afghan security forces to reinforce its border areas that no terrorist enters from the Pakistani side of the border."

"We have also requested the Afghan forces to dismantle the TTP sanctuaries and hand over the Pakistani Taliban to Pakistan," he said.

Bajwa said Pakistani forces have established more posts on its side of the border to foil any attempt by the militants cross the border, adding that "ISAF forces in Afghanistan are also monitoring the border."

Bajwa also rejected the Afghan government's claim of rockets firing from the Pakistani side of the border.