ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday warned the Afghan Taliban regime that peace in the region would remain elusive unless terrorism originating from Afghan territory was verifiably addressed, reaffirming its resolve to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected the Afghan Taliban regime’s latest allegations against Pakistan’s security institutions, describing them as diversionary attempts to evade responsibility for preventing Afghan territory from being used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
The ministry said blaming Pakistan’s security institutions did not absolve the Taliban authorities of their responsibility to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries and support networks operating from Afghan soil.
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Citing international assessments, the ministry referred to the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team’s sixteenth report (S/2025/796) and the US Lead Inspector General’s Operation Enduring Sentinel report covering January to March 2026.
According to the ministry, the US report stated that the Afghan Taliban continued to allow the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory, while Taliban support and greater operational freedom had contributed to increased terrorist attacks against Pakistan. The report estimated the TTP’s strength at between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters.
The ministry maintained that these findings reinforced Pakistan’s longstanding concerns over terrorist sanctuaries and support networks in Afghanistan.
Rejecting claims that Afghanistan lacked the capacity or intention to destabilise Pakistan, the ministry pointed to repeated cross-border infiltration attempts, the killing of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist organisations during counterterrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons from terrorists.
It also raised concerns over alleged facilitation of terrorist groups by Afghan Taliban officials, including individuals based in Kandahar, stressing that such allegations required credible explanations and verifiable action rather than blanket denials.
The statement called on the Afghan Taliban regime to end any tolerance, facilitation or support for terrorist organisations, including the TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliates, and prevent Afghan territory from being used to plan or launch attacks against Pakistan.
The ministry emphasised that Pakistan’s security measures were directed against terrorist threats rather than the Afghan people, adding that peace and stability in both countries were closely interconnected.
It warned that attempts to portray Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and defensive measures as hostility towards Afghanistan would neither resolve the terrorism issue nor divert attention from it.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s willingness to pursue responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable commitments and concrete counterterrorism action, the ministry stressed that Islamabad would not compromise on its national security.
“Peace can only prevail in the region if Pakistan’s core concern of terrorism originating from Afghanistan is verifiably addressed by the Afghan Taliban,” the statement concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026