Taliban Denies Pakistan’s Militancy Claims, Blames Islamabad For Security Issues

The Taliban has rejected recent accusations by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, asserting that Afghanistan is not responsible for Islamabad’s internal security challenges.

In a statement carried by the Taliban-affiliated Bakhtar News Agency on Monday, deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat dismissed allegations that armed groups are using Afghan territory to launch attacks into Pakistan. He described the claims as “false” and accused Pakistan of deflecting blame for its own failures.

“Pakistan’s security problems are its internal matter,” Fitrat said. “Blaming Afghanistan is a way for Islamabad to avoid accountability for its own shortcomings.”

The remarks were made in response to comments by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who, speaking in London on Sunday, stated that terrorist groups were operating from Afghan soil. Sharif noted that Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Taliban to adhere to the terms of the Doha Agreement by preventing cross-border militancy.

Sharif specifically named Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as one of the groups allegedly conducting operations from Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of numerous Pakistani civilians.

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated in recent months, fuelled by concerns over border insecurity and the activities of extremist groups. Pakistani officials have consistently accused the Taliban of harbouring militants, including the TTP, who they claim use Afghanistan as a base for launching attacks.

The Taliban has consistently denied these accusations, maintaining that no armed group is permitted to threaten other nations from Afghan territory and that Pakistan’s ongoing security issues stem from its own domestic conditions.