ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned the interim Afghan Taliban government to clamp down on cross-border terrorism, saying such attacks are undermining Pakistan’s hard-won peace. His comments came days after a suicide bombing in Islamabad killed 12 people and wounded more than two dozen others, and shortly after security forces foiled an attack on a cadet college in South Waziristan.
Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday visited Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, where Pakistani forces earlier in the week killed attackers who attempted to storm the institution. All students and staff escaped unharmed. During the visit, Naqvi said the assault — like other recent incidents — involved militants “from across the border.”
Addressing tribal elders in remarks broadcast on national television, Naqvi said senior Pakistani officials — including himself, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif — had repeatedly raised the issue of cross-border militancy with Afghanistan’s interim Taliban authorities.
“We repeatedly told them one thing: terrorism should be stopped. Do not destroy the peace in our country,” Naqvi said.
The minister added that Pakistan’s economic indicators and international relations were moving in a positive direction, but terrorist infiltration from Afghanistan threatened to destabilise these gains. He stressed that the recent surge in attacks was not being carried out by Pakistanis.
Referring to the suicide bombing in Islamabad — which left 12 dead and over two dozen wounded — Naqvi again blamed elements operating from Afghan soil.
“Our local people aren’t used to carrying out these attacks,” he said. “For some time now, you can see none of the attacks have been carried out by a local citizen.”
Naqvi’s remarks come amid a broader deterioration in Pakistan–Afghanistan security relations, with Islamabad repeatedly accusing Afghan-based fighters of staging deadly assaults inside Pakistan — a charge the Taliban administration denies.
Speaking to tribal leaders, Naqvi said Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has repeatedly conveyed that Pakistan will not compromise on matters of terrorism and remains deeply engaged with issues affecting the tribal region.
The interior minister assured elders that the government would continue supporting development in the area.
He added that he had ordered the renovation and upgrading of Cadet College Wana, expressing confidence that the institution would soon see significant improvements.
During his visit, Naqvi was welcomed by Inspector General Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South), Major General Mehr Omar Khan.
He met Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps personnel who safely evacuated students and staff during the recent attack, as well as the cadets and faculty members who experienced the attempted assault.
Naqvi praised the security forces for their swift and professional response, describing the attackers as “savages with no link to humanity.”
Tribal elders thanked the interior minister for his visit and paid tribute to the security forces. They reiterated their position that they do not recognize the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and condemned the attackers as misguided individuals.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Pakistan has faced a sharp rise in militant attacks launched from Afghan territory. Analysts say the TTP has rebuilt and expanded its operational infrastructure under Taliban protection, directing attacks against civilians, security forces, and border posts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Security experts warn that the Taliban’s continued sheltering of TTP and other anti-Pakistan militants risks plunging the region into a new cycle of instability. Islamabad, they add, is running out of patience after repeated diplomatic efforts failed to persuade Kabul to curb cross-border terrorism.
