By The South Asia Times 

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has urged Afghanistan's Taliban authorities to take verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, citing United Nations assessments and a US government report that identified the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a continuing security threat.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected recent allegations by the Afghan Taliban against Pakistani security institutions, saying such accusations did not address Islamabad's longstanding concerns about cross-border militancy.

“Blaming Pakistan’s security institutions does not absolve the Regime of its responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan,” the ministry said.

Islamabad said its concerns were supported by international assessments, including a report by the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team and a report by the US lead inspector general for Operation Enduring Sentinel covering January to March 2026.

According to Pakistan's statement, the US report said the Afghan Taliban continued to allow the TTP to operate from Afghan territory and that Taliban support and increased freedom of operation had contributed to a rise in attacks against Pakistan. It estimated the group's strength at between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters.

The Pakistani government said these assessments highlighted the threat posed by militant sanctuaries and support networks across the border.

Pakistan also cited attempted cross-border infiltrations, casualties among Afghan nationals and members of militant groups during Pakistani counterterrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons from militants as reasons for further scrutiny.

The ministry said Islamabad had raised concerns about alleged assistance to militant organisations by Afghan Taliban officials, including officials in Kandahar, and called for credible explanations and concrete action rather than blanket denials.

Pakistan has repeatedly pressed the Taliban authorities to prevent armed groups from using Afghanistan as a base for attacks across the border. Relations between the neighbouring countries have been strained by security disputes and recurring cross-border violence.

Islamabad called on the Afghan Taliban administration to end any tolerance, facilitation or support for the TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliates.

It urged the authorities in Kabul to ensure that Afghan territory was not used to plan, prepare or launch attacks against Pakistan.

The government said its security operations were directed against militant threats rather than the Afghan population, stressing that peace and stability in the two countries were closely linked.

“The Afghan people stand as much to gain from a region free of terrorism as their Pakistani neighbours,” the statement said.

Despite its criticism of the Taliban authorities, Islamabad said it remained open to engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable commitments and practical measures against militant sanctuaries, support networks and cross-border infiltration.

However, it warned that portraying Pakistan's security concerns and defensive measures as hostility towards Afghanistan would not resolve the underlying dispute.

“Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry said.

The statement concluded that lasting regional peace would depend on the Afghan Taliban taking verifiable action to address Pakistan's concerns about militancy originating from Afghan territory.