ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly rejected baseless allegations made by the Afghan Taliban regime regarding civilian casualties attributed to its counter-terrorism operations.
“Disinformation and misleading narratives will neither obscure the threat posed by the terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory nor absolve the Afghan Taliban regime of its responsibility to prevent Afghan soil from being used to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan,” the Foreign Office said, adding that attacks emanating from Afghan soil had claimed more than 3,500 casualties in 2026.
The Foreign Office added that various relevant United Nations mechanisms had reported the situation as well, and the issue had been raised as a serious concern for the international community.
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Pakistan Rejects Baseless Allegations by the Afghan Taliban Regime, Reaffirms Right to Self-Defence Against Terrorism
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 26, 2026
Pakistan accuses Taliban regime of sheltering terrorist groups
“The Taliban regime continues to shelter with impunity a large number of terrorist organisations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)/ Fitna al Khawarij, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)/ Fitna al Hindustan, and their affiliates, which continue to pose a serious threat to the peace and stability of the region and beyond,” it said.
The state uses the term Fitna-al-Khawarij to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Balochistan-based groups are referred to as Fitna-al-Hindustan, a term used to allege Indian involvement in terrorism and destabilisation of the country.
According to the Foreign Office statement, thousands of civilians have been martyred because of terrorist attacks which have been planned, financed, supported and carried out from Afghan soil, all under the watch, patronage and active facilitation of the Afghan Taliban regime.
“No responsible state can remain passive when its civilians and security forces are repeatedly targeted,” it noted.
Act of self-defence
It maintained that Islamabad’s actions in response to terrorist attacks had been undertaken in exercise of self-defence, according to the principles of necessity and as a last resort.
The FO further stated that the actions were “directed only and exclusively against terrorists and their logistical support bases in Afghanistan”. The statement stressed that Pakistan’s response had been “proportionate to the level of threat” and adhered to the principles of “distinction and precaution”.
“The scale and scope of the action reflected restraint, particularly in light of the severity and frequency of terrorist attacks faced by Pakistan. Pakistan rejects any insinuations otherwise,” it said.
Pakistan urges international community to hold Taliban accountable
Pakistan urged the international community to hold the Taliban regime accountable for its failure to uphold its obligations under relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and other related commitments to prevent Afghan soil from being used as a launchpad for terrorism.
“Pakistan reserves the right to take all necessary measures in order to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety and security of Pakistani nationals,” it said.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan of carrying out attacks inside its territory, urging Kabul to take decisive action against them. The Afghan Taliban government, however, has denied allowing Afghan soil to be used for attacks against the country.
It maintains that the cross-border threat extends beyond the movement of terrorists, alleging that these groups also receive training, weapons and operational support from within Afghanistan.
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Afghan-based terror attacks claim 1,327 Pakistani lives in 2026
According to figures cited by the authorities, terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil claimed 1,327 Pakistani lives and injured another 2,484 people in 2026 alone.
The country n Saturday also rejected the baseless and misleading allegations by Zalmay Khalilzad of arming Afghans to fight the Taliban and their supporter terrorist groups.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Fact Check account in a post on X said his sweeping baseless assertions merely recycle speculative narratives as part of his personal agenda.
“It is particularly misleading to conflate Pakistan’s legitimate counterterrorism operations against terrorist organisations operating from inside Afghan Taliban regime-controlled areas threatening its citizens with allegations of recruiting Afghan nationals or sponsoring armed groups inside Afghanistan,” it said.
The ministry said Islamabad remains at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and has made enormous sacrifices in protecting regional peace and security.
