Pakistan military accuses Afghanistan of becoming terrorist hub, Taliban denies

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry warned Tuesday that Afghanistan is becoming a "hub for terrorists and non-state actors," alleging its Taliban government is patronizing al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban.

Chaudhry told a news conference that about 2,500 foreign militants recently entered Afghanistan from Syria following the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, asserting they were invited there. "These terrorists are neither Pakistanis nor Afghan citizens and belong to other nationalities," he said, adding that their reemergence could pose security risks beyond Afghanistan's borders.

The remarks followed a call by Pakistan and China for "visible and verifiable" measures to eliminate militant organizations operating from Afghan territory. Chaudhry described the Afghan Taliban not as a government but as an armed group that had "occupied Afghanistan."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed the claims as "irresponsible and provocative," urging Pakistan to avoid "unfounded propaganda" and focus on its internal challenges. "Afghanistan is an independent and stable country with a strong security system and decisive leadership that exercises full sovereignty over all its territory," Mujahid said.

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have deteriorated recently, with tensions spilling into violence. In October, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on what it called Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan, prompting retaliatory strikes by Kabul on Pakistani posts. A ceasefire was brokered by Qatar.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan and India of backing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Baloch National Army; both deny the claims. Chaudhry said Pakistan killed 2,597 militants in 2025, up from 1,053 in 2024, amid 5,397 militant attacks, up from 3,014 the previous year. He claimed Afghan nationals were involved in nearly all major attacks inside Pakistan last year.