ISLAMABAD: The army on Wednesday described as unwarranted the Afghan government’s reservations over its operation against the militant Islamic State (IS) group, dubbed Khyber IV.

“Afghan Ministry of Defence’s response to Operation Khyber IV is unwarranted and runs counter to Pakistan Army’s efforts for better Pak-Afghan coordination and cooperation,” a military spokesman said while responding to Kabul’s reaction to the operation that began in the Rajgal Valley on Sunday.

The operation is aimed at forestalling the IS fighters’ entry into Pakistan from across the border of the neighbouring country, where the group has established a base.

The Afghan Defence Ministry’s spokesman, Dawlat Waziri, had claimed that Pakistan had not carried out any coordination while launching the military operation in the Rajgal Valley despite an understanding about having coordinated operations on both sides of the Durand Line.

Mr Waziri further said the operations were to be monitored by China and the US.

The spokesman for the Pakistan Army dismissed the Afghan government’s claims and said information about Khyber IV had been shared twice, both verbally and in writing, with Afghanistan’s security forces, Nato’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and office of the US Defence Representative in Pakistan.

“Pakistan Army looks forward to trust-based security coordination and cooperation for fight against [the] common enemy. Rhetoric of blames and suggestive allegations are agenda of forces working against order and peace in the region which should be avoided,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2017