KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan has once again called on the Taliban to heed its repeated demands and take effective, immediate action against terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
During a press briefing on Thursday, November 14, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said her country continues to be threatened by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan.
She warned the Taliban not to “test the patience of the Pakistani people” regarding terrorism, emphasizing that her country will no longer tolerate those who support groups aiming to destabilize the region.
“Pakistan has opted for dialogue with Afghanistan; not just Afghanistan, but also the neighboring countries of Afghanistan, who have called on the Afghan authorities to take action against terror groups that have found hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan,” she said.
“We continue to urge Afghanistan to take effective action against terror groups and ensure that Afghan territory is not used against Pakistan or any other neighboring country of Afghanistan,” she added.
During her briefing, Baloch also highlighted the visit of the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, to Islamabad today. She said that Kabulov will meet with senior officials to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the role of neighboring countries in promoting regional peace and stability.
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has seen a dramatic rise in terrorist attacks, particularly in the border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. According to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan increased by 65% in 2023.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, which shares a similar ideology with the Afghan Taliban, is considered the primary force behind this surge in violence.
Islamabad claims that the Taliban in Afghanistan shelters TTP leaders and militants, providing them with modern weapons for cross-border attacks. In recent years, the country has repeatedly urged the Taliban to take decisive action against militant groups and hand them over to Islamabad, a demand that remains unfulfilled.
The ruling regime in Afghanistan, however, denies allegations of the TTP or any other terrorist groups operating in the country, a claim disputed by UN security assessments and regional countries.
In a report in July, the U.N. sanctions monitoring team highlighted that the Taliban, with assistance from Al-Qaeda, is providing shelter, training, and support to TTP militants. Both UN and Pakistani officials estimate that up to 6,500 TTP fighters, commanders, and leaders are being sheltered in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
