Richard Lindsay’s recent remarks on the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan deserve  attention in Islamabad as well as Kabul. For a country that has spent years trying to convince the world that anti Pakistan militants are operating from Afghan territory, the British envoy’s observations amount to an important diplomatic development.

In his interview, Lindsay had no hesitation in describing the TTP as a terrorist organisation. He also acknowledged that the group receives support from Afghanistan and stressed that it is the responsibility of those exercising authority in Kabul and Kandahar to deal with the problem.

This is significant because Pakistan’s complaints about cross border terrorism have often struggled to gain traction internationally. Islamabad has repeatedly maintained that militants involved in attacks inside Pakistan are not operating in isolation. According to Pakistan, these groups have been able to find shelter across the border, allowing them to recover from security operations and continue their campaign of violence.

Lindsay went a step further by referring to issues such as training camps, weapons, financial assistance and safe havens. Although he did not go into operational details, his message was unmistakable: the Afghan authorities cannot distance themselves from the activities of groups using their........

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