Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Asif Ali Durrani has claimed that terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan's attacks in the country, emanating from Afghanistan, have spiked significantly ever since the Taliban took control over the neighbouring nation in 2021.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘The Challenge of Cross-Border Terrorism’ organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Durrani was quoted as saying by Dawn News that peace in Afghanistan seemed a tall order for now and, therefore, they would have to live with the neighbouring country and manage the affairs with Afghanistan accordingly.

“Earlier, it was hoped that with the arrival of the Taliban, the security situation on the Pak-Afghan border would improve but unfortunately the attacks emanating from Afghanistan had increased by 60pc in the last two years,” he said.

Targeting India, he said: "I have no qualms in saying that Indians are paying the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) through the Afghan proxies, and it is not something new as Indians have been propping up the TTP since the Karzai government.”

He said the state should not negotiate with non-state actors.

Speaking on the occasion, former National Security Advisor (NSA) retired Lt-Gen Nasir Khan Janjua suggested that the way forward to deal with the challenge of cross-border terrorism, especially the TTP, was to proceed through the Afghan government, reported Dawn News.