They are based in Quetta, Peshawar: General John Nicholson

The U.S. knows that Afghan Taliban’s leaders are based in the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Peshawar, the top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan has said, evoking a sharp reaction from Islamabad.

“The Quetta Shura, Peshawar Shura, these shuras are identified by cities inside Pakistan, we know Afghan Taliban leaders are in these areas,” General John Nicholson, the Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said.

Reacting to the comments, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the Taliban were using Afghanistan as the launch pad for their operations, both inside and outside Pakistan.