Terrorism from Afghan soil only bilateral issue with Kabul: FO

Pakistan said on Thursday that terrorism emanating from Afghan soil remains the only bilateral issue between Islamabad and Kabul, reiterating its demand for concrete and verifiable assurances from the Afghan authorities to prevent terrorist activity against Pakistan.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan does not seek hostility with Afghanistan and wants improved relations, but stressed that the issue of cross-border terrorism must be addressed first.

“We have no bilateral dispute with Afghanistan except terrorism originating from its territory,” Andrabi said, adding that Pakistan requires credible, written assurances that such activities will be stopped.

The spokesperson said Islamabad has consistently asked Kabul to take effective action against elements involved in attacks on Pakistan, particularly Fitna-al-Khawarij, the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

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He said Pakistan expects written and verifiable commitments from the Afghan Taliban that Afghan soil will not be used for terrorism against its neighbour.

“This demand will remain until we receive concrete and verifiable assurances,” he said, noting that resolving the issue could unlock significant potential for improved bilateral relations.

Andrabi said Afghanistan, as a landlocked country, could benefit from enhanced regional connectivity if the security situation improves.

“The potential of regional connectivity projects is immense, but it can only be realised once there are firm commitments on terrorism,” he said, adding that such assurances would also serve Afghanistan’s own interests.

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Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have persisted amid Pakistan’s accusations that Afghan territory is being used by terrorist groups to launch attacks.

Pakistan carried out cross-border strikes in Afghanistan in October last year following a surge in terrorist attacks that caused casualties among security forces and law enforcement personnel.

After an initial exchange on October 11, several incidents were reported along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistani strikes also targeted camps linked to the Gul Bahadur group inside Afghanistan.

Subsequent talks between the two sides, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, failed to produce a workable outcome.

Earlier this month, the military spokesperson described the Afghan Taliban as the “mother organisation” of terrorist groups allegedly operating against Pakistan since 2021.

On regional diplomacy, Andrabi said Pakistan would continue to engage through the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral foreign ministers’ dialogue, describing it as a positive framework for addressing issues related to Afghanistan.

However, he reiterated that progress remains contingent on written and verifiable commitments from Kabul on counterterrorism.

Despite the lack of such assurances, the spokesperson said Pakistan remains open to engagement.

“Diplomatic channels are open. Our embassy and consulates are functioning, and routine diplomatic interactions continue,” he said.