Pakistan Bristles At Taliban's Rejection Of Terror Charges, Warns Afghanistan Of Action

Pakistan has warned Afghanistan that it could take further action against cross-border militant threats, accusing the Afghan Taliban of failing to prevent terrorist groups from operating on its soil. The warning comes amid renewed tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, with the United States offering to help facilitate dialogue between the two neighbours.

In a statement issued on Saturday (October 31), Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting described terrorism as a red line and said the country's national security could not be compromised because of what it called the Taliban regime's inaction.

The ministry accused the Afghan leadership of shifting responsibility to Islamabad instead of addressing militant activities allegedly originating from Afghan territory. It warned that Pakistan would not tolerate terrorist sanctuaries across its borders and reserved the right to take all necessary measures under international law to eliminate security threats.

The statement followed remarks by Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who accused Pakistan of lacking the willingness to resolve bilateral differences through peaceful negotiations. Speaking to Hurriyat Radio on Saturday, Mujahid said Islamabad's policies were preventing progress towards a settlement and rejected Pakistan's allegations, insisting that Afghanistan was not responsible for its counterterrorism concerns.

The dispute centres largely on Pakistan's allegations that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant organisations, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing Afghan soil to be used against neighbouring countries.

Islamabad has also intensified its diplomatic pressure. In an October 24 statement, Pakistan cited United Nations and US assessments on militant groups operating in Afghanistan and demanded verifiable action against the TTP and BLA. Pakistan has separately reported more than 4,700 casualties from attacks it attributes to militants operating from Afghanistan over the past three years. Kabul disputes Islamabad's accusations.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a possible diplomatic opening on Saturday. Speaking at the G20 foreign ministers' conference, Rubio said Washington had heard Pakistan's concerns about terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan and was willing to play a productive role in reducing tensions.

On Sunday, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan welcomed efforts by the United States and other friendly countries to facilitate talks. However, he stressed that meaningful negotiations would require Kabul to commit to concrete, sustained and verifiable action against militant groups.