Asim Munir's appointment as Pakistan's first Chief of Defence Forces has been publicly supported by a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader and long-time Hafiz Saeed aide, demonstrating once more the close ties between Pakistan's military hierarchy and terrorist organisations that are prohibited. LeT commander Qari Yaqoob Sheikh lauded Munir in a recently released video message, but he also threatened Afghanistan, saying that if Kabul does not halt its anti-Islamabad actions, the LeT is ready to fight alongside the Pakistan Army.
Sheikh made an effort to portray the LeT as an advocate for Pakistan. He asserted that Afghans "deserve to be rewarded" for their sacrifices on behalf of Pakistan.

He also supported the fatwa issued by clerics from Afghanistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which stated that terrorism against any nation could not take place on Afghan territory. According to Sheikh, bilateral relations could reach "new heights" if the Taliban regime guarantees Islamabad that no anti-Pakistan actions will come from Afghanistan. He continued by saying that Pakistan has traditionally backed Afghanistan as a "brother Islamic country" and had taken in and helped Afghan refugees.
Sheikh urged Kabul to make a clear pledge. "The Afghan leadership should now clearly declare that no attack on Pakistan will be launched from their soil," he stated. "An announcement should come from the Afghan Taliban that no bullet will be fired at Pakistan from their soil," he said, sending a clear warning to the Taliban government.

"An announcement should come from the Afghan Taliban that no bullet will be fired at Pakistan from their soil," he said, sending a clear warning to the Taliban government. In the event that such a guarantee is not provided, keep in mind that we firmly support the Pakistan Army in defending Pakistan.
The threat coincides with a resurgence of violence along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Five Afghan civilians were killed and numerous others were injured during an overnight gunfight between Pakistani and Afghan soldiers last week. Pakistan also recorded injuries among civilians. A precarious two-month ceasefire was violated, and both sides accused one another of doing so.

Since October, when many border battles resulted in hundreds of injuries and the deaths of soldiers, civilians, and suspected terrorists, hostilities have been simmering. The outburst came after explosives in Kabul on October 9, which the Taliban claimed Pakistan was responsible for and promised to revenge for. Even as Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan worsen, the most recent intervention by a senior LeT figure only serves to emphasise the country's ongoing reliance on extremist proxies.