The Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday that Pakistan “strongly rejects” reports alleging that Taliban fighters involved in the Ghazni attack were offered medical treatment in Pakistani hospitals.

Earlier this week, Afghan Defence Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami had said that the Ghazni attack — in which at least 1,000 fighters had stormed the city — had been carried out by Taliban with the support of external elements, including Pakistanis.

FO Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said that Afghanistan has not shared any information or evidence to support such claims with Pakistan and such reports therefore cannot be given any credence.

The spokesperson also warned that such reports can only be viewed as “malicious propaganda to vitiate the existing cooperation between the two countries.”

The New York Times had also reported Afghan officials as claiming the Taliban were aided by foreign fighters, including Pakistanis and Chechens, and even some Al Qaeda affiliates.

Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had rejected these allegations on Friday while asking Kabul to look inwards for the cause of the attack.

The FO has previously also rejected allegations that Pakistani citizens had supported the Taliban attacks on Ghazni.