ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, held a virtual meeting with his Uzbek counterpart on Tuesday to address the growing security challenges faced by Afghanistan’s neighbours due to the presence of thousands of terrorists operating from Afghan soil under the Taliban regime.
Sadiq, who also holds the portfolio of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, in a post on social media platform X said the number of Uzbek terrorists stationed in Afghanistan is over 2,500 – possibly the second-largest group of terrorists after TTP.
Held a virtual meeting with my Uzbek counterpart to discuss security challenges faced by Afghanistan’s neighbours due to thousands of terrorists hosted by the Taliban. Reportedly, the number of Uzbek terrorists stationed in Afghaniastan is over 2,500 – possibly the second-largest… pic.twitter.com/eUZJouML9i
— Mohammad Sadiq (@AmbassadorSadiq) February 24, 2026
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions following recent cross-border terror attacks and Pakistani precision airstrikes targeting terrorists’ hideouts in Afghanistan on Saturday.
Islamabad has consistently urged the Afghan Taliban to take “immediate and concrete actions” to dismantle terrorist networks operating from its territory.
The strikes were conducted in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost provinces and targeted facilities linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terror group and its affiliates, including Daesh-Khorasan.
Security sources said more than 100 terrorists were killed in the precision strikes
Pakistan and Uzbekistan share a common interest in ensuring stability in Afghanistan, particularly for the successful implementation of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project, a flagship connectivity initiative dependent on improved security conditions in the region.
Both sides agreed to remain in close consultation and coordinate efforts at regional forums to address the shared threat of terrorism.
Terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border terror attacks since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban regime to take action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
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However, the Taliban regime failed to take any action against terror groups and prevent Afghan soil from being used against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has said that between 20,000 and 23,000 fighters affiliated with various international terrorist groups are currently operating in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, more than half of them foreign nationals.
In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said the fighters belong to various terrorist organisations and continue to pose “serious security and political challenges” for Afghanistan and the wider region.
