Pakistan urges Afghan Taliban to curb cross‑border militant attacks
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar warned the Taliban that unchecked militant activity could threaten its own rule.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday urged the Afghan Taliban government to stop militants from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, foreign minister Ishaq Dar said in a televised address.
What happened
The appeal was made on 12 October 2026, after a series of cross‑border clashes and Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that have heightened tensions between the neighbours. The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan reported that more than 1,100 civilians have been killed or injured by cross‑border violence in Afghanistan this year.
What the reports add
According to the Associated Press, the warning was a renewal of a previous caution that militant groups could eventually threaten the Taliban’s own rule. The Independent noted that Dar had previously delivered a similar warning to Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund during a July 2025 visit to Kabul. The Daily Times cited a United Nations Security Council report mentioning roughly 6,000 members of a banned organisation operating in Afghanistan and alleged Taliban support for the Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP). New Indian Express repeated the UN casualty figures and Dar’s earlier warning.
What was said
"I politely reminded him that if the Afghan authorities failed to take appropriate action against terrorist groups operating from their territory, the day would come when these very groups would threaten his government as well," Dar told the think‑tank audience, as reported by the Independent and New Indian Express.
How it came about
The latest appeal follows a series of Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil earlier this month, which killed nine civilians in Helmand and Kunar provinces (Felo, 1 Oct 2026). A week earlier, Pakistan launched ten strikes in Khost province in response to alleged drone attacks, an escalation documented in Felo’s coverage on 24 Sept 2026. These incidents have fed a cycle of retaliation that the Pakistani government says the Afghan Taliban must address.
Key facts
- Pakistan urged the Afghan Taliban to stop militants from launching attacks inside Pakistan (winnipegfreepress.com)
- UN Mission in Afghanistan documented over 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries from cross‑border violence in 2026 (independent.co.uk)
- Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar warned Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund in July 2025 and reiterated the warning on 12 Oct 2026 (independent.co.uk)
- A UN Security Council report cited around 6,000 members of a banned organisation in Afghanistan and alleged Taliban support for the TTP (dailytimes.com.pk)
Timeline
- 2026-09-24 — Pakistan launched ten airstrikes in Khost province in response to alleged drone attacks
- 2026-10-01 — Pakistani airstrikes killed nine civilians in Afghanistan's Helmand and Kunar provinces
- 2026-10-12 — Pakistan urged Afghan Taliban to curb cross‑border militant attacks
