Pakistan criticises Afghan Taliban over cross-border militancy and blame-shifting

The information ministry on Saturday rebuked the Afghan Taliban’s stance on the ongoing conflict between the two countries, assailing its “persistent refusal to address terrorism” emanating from Afghanistan’s soil. The statement came in response to remarks made by Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who blamed Islamabad’s “wrong policies” for preventing a resolution to the conflict and insisted Kabul was not the cause of counterterrorism issues. “Pakistan does not want to resolve the conflict with Afghanistan through talks,” Mujahid told Hurriyat Radio, claiming that Islamabad “lacks the necessary readiness for a peaceful resolution of differences”. In its statement, the information ministry said the Afghan spokesman’s remarks expose the “regime’s deeply misguided approach and unwillingness to confront the root cause of deteriorating relations with Pakistan”. “The Taliban leadership continues to blame Islamabad’s policies while conveniently ignoring the single most important issue poisoning bilateral relations: its persistent failure to address terrorism emanating from Afghan soil,” it added. The ministry reiterated Pakistan’s “unequivocal” position: terrorism is a red line and the security of its citizens is non-negotiable.* “The Afghan Taliban regime must understand that Pakistan will not tolerate terrorist sanctuaries across its borders that impact its security nor allow its people to remain targets of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan,” it stated. Islamabad reiterated that the “Taliban regime’s persistent refusal to address terrorism remains the principal obstacle to normal relations”. “Shifting blame, making hollow assurances and questioning Pakistan’s policies will neither resolve the crisis nor absolve Kabul of its responsibilities. The Afghan Taliban leadership must understand that Pakistan’s security will not be held hostage to Afghan Taliban’s inaction, evasions or misplaced priorities.” The information ministry affirmed that Pakistan reserved the right to “take all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to eliminate threats to its national security, wherever they originate”. It urged Kabul to recognise that the responsibility for addressing these threats “rests squarely with the Afghan Taliban regime”. “Pakistan’s resolve to protect its people must never be mistaken for weakness,” it declared. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. Multiple rounds of talks between the two sides last year, facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye, failed to bring about any workable solution, with the Pakistani government saying the Taliban officials gave no assurances on the key issues. Efforts this year made with China’s involvement also resulted in no breakthrough. September witnessed another bout of conflict between the two neighbours, with Pakistan carrying out calibrated airstrikes in the border region in response to terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This was followed by drone incursions from across the border, which Islamabad said were shot down, and two further rounds of retaliatory airstrikes. Those skirmishes continued in October, with Pakistani security forces responding to unprovoked fire from the Afghan side along the border in Kurram and Lower South Waziristan’s Angoor Adda, according to security sources. On Tuesday, Afghan security forces opened unprovoked fire on border posts and residential areas in the Angoor Adda border area, which claimed the life of one local and injured a family of five.

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