Pakistan has once again called on the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan to dismantle safe havens used by militant groups such as the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), accusing Kabul of offering both financial and logistical support to the banned outfits.
At a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stressed that cross-border terrorism remains a top concern in diplomatic engagements with the Afghan authorities. He asserted that Pakistan possesses credible evidence proving that the TTP and BLA are operating from Afghan soil with external assistance.
“These groups continue to pose a serious threat to Pakistan’s security, and we have raised this matter repeatedly with Kabul,” Khan said.
The spokesperson further alleged that India has been backing Baloch insurgents, citing what he described as documented proof of Indian involvement in destabilizing activities through support for groups like the BLA.
Khan emphasized that Pakistan expects the Taliban regime to take concrete action against all terror outfits using Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border.
His remarks are consistent with findings by the United Nations, which earlier reported that the TTP, estimated to have around 6,000 fighters, receives substantial operational support from elements within the Taliban. The UN has also noted internal divisions among the Taliban leadership, with some factions pushing for a reduction in ties with the TTP to improve regional relations.
UN monitoring teams have warned that Afghanistan continues to serve as a sanctuary for transnational terror groups. The most pressing threat, they noted, is posed by ISIS–Khorasan (ISIS-K), while al-Qaeda is believed to be involved in training and ideological indoctrination of other militant networks.
While the Taliban has dismissed the UN reports as “propaganda”, multiple UN member states have shared intelligence indicating close coordination between the TTP and BLA, including its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade. Some reports point to at least four shared training camps run jointly by the two groups in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, specifically in Shah Wali Kot and Shorabak, with al-Qaeda reportedly providing training and logistical aid.
