Afghan Tabliban’s blanket denials cannot address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns: MoIB

ISLAMABAD, Oct 24 (APP):Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns cannot be dismissed through blanket denials repeatedly made by the Afghan Taliban regime, said the ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a news statement on Saturday.

Instead, the “credible explanations and verifiable action” are required to address such concerns, the statement added while taking note of the recent statements of the Afghan Taliban Regime where they have once again “resorted to diversionary allegations instead of addressing Pakistan’s legitimate and longstanding security concerns.”

“Blaming Pakistan’s security institutions does not absolve the Regime of its responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan, “ the MoIB maintained”

“Pakistan’s concerns are not based on conjecture,” it said while citing sixteenth report (S/2025/796) of the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team that examined the presence and activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

The US Lead Inspector General’s Operation Enduring Sentinel report to Congress for January–March 2026 further stated that the Afghan Taliban continued to allow Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory and that Taliban support and greater freedom for the group contributed to increased attacks against Pakistan.

“The report estimated TTP strength at 4,000–6,000 fighters,” the MoIB said, adding that these assessments underscore the seriousness of Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorist sanctuaries and support networks operating from Afghan soil.

“The assertion that Afghanistan lacks either the capacity or the interest to destabilise Pakistan does not address these documented concerns. Repeated attempts by armed terrorists to infiltrate across Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the killing of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist groups during Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons from terrorist elements, all warrant serious scrutiny.”

It said Pakistan has also raised concerns over alleged facilitation of terrorist groups by Afghan Taliban officials, including officials in Kandahar.

The MoIB clarified that Pakistan’s security measures are directed against terrorist threats, not the Afghan people. “Peace and stability in both countries are closely linked, and the Afghan people stand as much to gain from a region free of terrorism as their Pakistani neighbours.”

The ministry said Afghan Taliban Regime must end any tolerance, facilitation or support for terrorist organisations, including TTP, BLA and their affiliates, and ensure that Afghan territory is not used to plan, prepare or launch attacks against Pakistan.

“Attempts to portray Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and necessary defensive measures as hostility towards Afghanistan will neither deflect attention from the issue nor resolve it. Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

It said Pakistan remains open to responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable commitments and concrete action against terrorist sanctuaries, support networks and cross-border infiltration. “However, Afghan Taliban Regime must understand that peace can only prevail in the region if Pakistan’s core concern of terrorism originating from Afghanistan is verifiably addressed by the Afghan Taliban.”