Pakistan has long maintained that it faces a persistent threat from militant groups operating out of Afghanistan, including the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Multiple United Nations Security Council reports have noted the presence of sanctuaries for these groups in Afghanistan, which Islamabad says enable cross-border attacks.
Taliban officials, however, deny the allegations. In a recent media interview, Mullah Yaqoob said Pakistan’s security apparatus was to blame for failing to prevent militant infiltrations.
“If they cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan and travel deep inside Pakistani territory, why aren’t they stopped there? Instead of addressing this, Pakistan unjustly accuses Afghanistan,” he said.
Shafqat Ali dismissed the Taliban defence chief’s remarks as “an exercise in irony”. “It cannot mask the seriousness of this issue,” he said, adding: “The enormity of the matter cannot be diminished by whatever number of statements you issue.”
The FO spokesman said security forces and law enforcement agencies conduct “targeted operations in border regions to safeguard our citizens from terrorist threats”.
“These operations are meticulously planned based on credible and actionable intelligence and executed with precision,” he said, adding that Pakistan respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and remains committed to dialogue and cooperation.