Interim Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, confirmed on Saturday that a demarche had been issued to the Afghan charge d’affaires following the terrorist attack on two military posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Chitral district. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of four security personnel and the death of more than 16 militants as they attempted to cross the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan. The militants targeted two security checkposts in the southern part of the district.
During a press conference in Islamabad, FM Jilani responded to a question about whether the incident had been raised with the interim Afghan government. He stated, “Pakistan registered a strong protest over the incident, summoning the Afghan charge d’affaires and presenting a protest note (demarche) to him.”
FM Jilani expressed his concerns over the recent increase in terrorism, emphasizing that Pakistan takes such incidents very seriously. He also highlighted the responsibility of the Afghan government in preventing attacks originating from its soil, urging them to suppress all elements involved in terrorism.
Pakistan’s caretaker Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, shared the same expectation from the Afghan Taliban authorities, calling on them to honor the Doha agreement and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for attacks against other countries.
While FM Jilani previously described the Chitral attack as an “isolated incident” that may not have been sanctioned by the interim Afghan government, concerns about cross-border terrorism have been growing. Pakistan’s military leadership and former prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, have expressed concerns about the presence of “safe havens” and the involvement of Afghan citizens in terror attacks within Pakistan. They have called on Kabul to take action.
However, in a separate interview, Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, took a different stance, advising Pakistan to resolve its internal problems without blaming others. This may have been an attempt to appeal to Afghan audiences.
Recent statements from Afghanistan’s supreme leader have warned Taliban members against carrying out attacks abroad. Nevertheless, the Afghan authorities later alleged that dozens of banned Islamic State militants from Pakistan had been killed or captured in Afghanistan over the past year.
Pakistan continues to engage with Afghan authorities and expects them to fulfill their obligations in preventing cross-border terrorism. It is crucial for stability in the region that both countries cooperate in combating the threat of terrorism.