ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (APP):The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on civilians and police personnel offering Friday prayers at the old Kohat Police Lines, urging the Afghan Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable measures against militant networks operating from Afghan territory. In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry said Pakistan had repeatedly raised concerns over the alleged use of Afghan territory by Fitna …
Information Ministry Condemns Terrorist Attack in Kohat
ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (APP):The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on civilians and police personnel offering Friday prayers at the old Kohat Police Lines, urging the Afghan Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable measures against militant networks operating from Afghan territory.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry said Pakistan had repeatedly raised concerns over the alleged use of Afghan territory by Fitna al-Khawarij and other terrorist groups to plan and carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
The ministry said the presence of alleged terrorist sanctuaries, along with recruitment and support networks in Afghanistan, posed a direct security threat to Pakistan. It said these concerns had been conveyed repeatedly to the Afghan Taliban authorities and their interlocutors, calling on them to dismantle such networks rather than deflect responsibility.
The ministry also criticised remarks attributed to Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who reportedly threatened Pakistan with a “crushing response”, saying such statements were unacceptable in the context of Pakistan’s allegations regarding militant activity originating from Afghan territory.
It said the Afghan Taliban should address what Pakistan described as a terrorist ecosystem rather than attempt to shift responsibility. The ministry also referred to the Doha Agreement and said the Afghan authorities had obligations to prevent their territory from being used to threaten other countries.
Pakistan, the statement said, had taken note of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ condemnation of the Kohat attack and its expression of sympathy for the victims’ families, while noting that the statement did not explicitly refer to terrorism.
“Condemnation must be matched by concrete action,” the ministry said, calling on the Afghan Taliban to adopt credible, verifiable and sustained measures to dismantle alleged terrorist sanctuaries, disrupt recruitment and training networks and prevent militant groups from planning or launching attacks against Pakistan.
The ministry said Pakistan had consistently pursued dialogue and constructive engagement with the Afghan Taliban, but stressed that dialogue could not be allowed to shield those responsible for threats against Pakistani citizens.
It said Pakistan had both the will and capability to confront terrorist threats and would take necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to protect its citizens, territory and sovereignty.
The ministry also warned that the continued presence and activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan could contribute to wider regional instability, with potential repercussions beyond the region.
It called on the international community to press the Afghan Taliban authorities to take decisive and verifiable action against terrorist networks before the threat spreads further across the region and beyond.
