Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad
Islamabad, Oct 25: Pakistan has urged Afghanistan’s Taliban government to take verifiable action against militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory, rejecting Kabul’s accusation that Islamabad was shifting blame for its own security failures.
The latest exchange comes amid escalating tensions between the two neighbours over cross-border militant activity, repeated clashes along their shared border and Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan. Both sides have traded accusations over responsibility for the growing violence.
In a separate statement on X, Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected allegations that Islamabad was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban or recruiting them to combat anti-Pakistan insurgents. The allegations were raised a day earlier by former US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who cited reports of both activities but did not provide evidence or identify his sources.
On Friday, Khalilzad wrote on X that there had been reports of Pakistan arming Afghans to fight the Taliban inside Afghanistan and of the Pakistani military recruiting Afghans to fight insurgent groups operating against Pakistan.
The allegations have added to the tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, which have been engaged in a longstanding dispute over militant sanctuaries and cross-border attacks.
Last month, Afghanistan claimed that its forces had killed 28 fighters and captured 32 others, including alleged members of the Islamic State group who had reportedly crossed into the country from neighbouring Pakistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing militant organisations, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, to operate from Afghan territory.
The TTP is a separate organisation from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban but maintains close ties with it. Islamabad alleges that TTP leaders and BLA insurgents have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Kabul has consistently denied the allegations.
On Friday, Afghan Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected Pakistan’s accusations, saying Kabul was not responsible for insecurity in Pakistan. He accused Pakistan’s military and security agencies of blaming Afghanistan for their inability to maintain security at home.
Mujahid said the Afghan government had neither an interest in destabilising Pakistan nor the capability to foment or finance unrest in other countries.
Responding to the remarks, Pakistan’s Information Ministry said the Afghan government’s assertions failed to address what it described as documented security concerns. The ministry cited attempted cross-border infiltration, the deaths of Afghan nationals and members of militant groups during Pakistani counterterrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons as issues requiring scrutiny.
The ministry also referred to a US report covering January to March 2026, which estimated the strength of the Pakistani Taliban at between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters.
Pakistan is currently conducting multiple counterterrorism operations against militants near the Afghan border. The Information Ministry maintained that these operations were directed at militant threats and not the Afghan people.
It called on the Taliban government to end any tolerance, facilitation or support for militant organisations, particularly the TTP and BLA, and to prevent Afghan territory from being used to plan or launch attacks against Pakistan.
Militant violence has increased in Pakistan in recent years, with much of it attributed to the TTP and BLA. Pakistani authorities maintain that the presence of these groups in Afghanistan has contributed to the deteriorating security situation, an allegation that Kabul continues to reject.
According to Pakistani authorities, more than 2,800 militant attacks since January have killed around 3,000 people across the country, particularly in the northwestern regions and Balochistan province.
The latest exchange underscores the continuing deterioration in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with disputes over militant activity and cross-border security remaining major obstacles to improving ties.