KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised concerns over U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, claiming that these arms are now being used in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
During a weekly briefing on Friday, ministry spokesperson Shafaqat Ali Khan said the presence of advanced U.S. weaponry in Afghanistan remains a “source of concern” and has been raised multiple times with US officials and Taliban authorities.
“The question of weapons left behind by the US remains a serious concern for us for one particular reason, that those weapons are being used by the terrorists for attacks inside Pakistan,” Khan said,
“We have impressed upon the international community and Afghan authorities to address this issue,” he added.
Khan previously told Pakistani media that U.S. weapons abandoned in Afghanistan after the August 2021 withdrawal have been used by terrorist groups, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to launch attacks in Pakistan.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, over $7 billion worth of military equipment—including aircraft, armored vehicles, and weapons—was left behind in Afghanistan following the withdrawal. While some of the gear was removed or destroyed, much of it remained.
President Donald Trump has recently vowed to reclaim the military equipment, accusing the Biden administration of “giving a big chunk of it to the enemy.” Trump suggested that future financial aid to Afghanistan should be tied to the return of American equipment.
“We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand-new trucks,” Trump said during his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. He claimed the Taliban is now selling the weapons and military gear, making Afghanistan, in his words, “one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, Pakistan has seen a sharp uptick in terrorist attacks, which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and security personnel. Islamabad claims that the TTP is being harbored and supported by the Taliban, escalating tensions between the two neighbors.
