Kohat attack: Afghanistan asked to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has warned that it will take all necessary measures under international law to protect its citizens, territory and sovereignty following the terrorist attack on civilians and police personnel offering Friday prayers in Kohat, while calling on the Afghan Taliban regime to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries operating from Afghan territory. In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting condemned the attack, attributing it to terrorists with roots in Afghanistan and reiterating Pakistan’s concerns over the continued use of Afghan territory by Fitna al-Khawarij and other terrorist organisations to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan. The ministry said the presence of terrorist sanctuaries, recruitment networks and support infrastructure in Afghanistan posed a direct threat to Pakistan’s national security. READ ALSO: At least 17 including cops martyred in Kohat blast It maintained that these concerns had repeatedly been conveyed to the Afghan Taliban regime and its interlocutors, urging Kabul to dismantle the networks rather than deflect responsibility. The ministry also strongly condemned Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid’s reported threat of a “crushing response” against Pakistan, accusing the Afghan Taliban regime of sponsoring terrorism while attempting to shift responsibility and malign Pakistan. It stressed that such statements could not absolve the Afghan Taliban of their counterterrorism obligations under the Doha Agreement or their responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used to threaten other countries. Referring to the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ condemnation of the Kohat attack, the ministry noted that Kabul had expressed sympathy for the victims’ families but had omitted any reference to terrorism in its statement. The ministry emphasised that expressions of sympathy and condemnation were insufficient without concrete, credible and verifiable counterterrorism measures. It called on the Afghan Taliban to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries, disrupt recruitment and training networks, and prevent terrorist organisations from planning, facilitating or launching attacks against Pakistan. The statement further maintained that Pakistan had consistently pursued dialogue and constructive engagement with the Afghan Taliban but would not allow the pretence of dialogue to shield those threatening the lives of its citizens. “Pakistan has both the will and the capability to eliminate terrorist threats wherever they are and will take all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to protect its citizens, territory and sovereignty, ” the ministry stated. It also warned that the continued presence and activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan could aggravate instability, with serious regional and global repercussions. The ministry urged the international community to exert pressure on the Afghan Taliban regime to take decisive and verifiable action against terrorist networks before the threat spreads further across the region and beyond. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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