Pakistan’s PM Warns Taliban to Choose Between Cooperation and Militancy

Pakistan’s PM Warns Taliban to Choose Between Cooperation and Militancy
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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a stark warning to the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, urging them to choose between cooperating with Islamabad and supporting militant groups that attack Pakistani security forces.

Speaking at the funeral of soldiers killed in recent clashes, Sharif said in a televised address that militants, including those from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are crossing the border from Afghanistan to carry out attacks. “If Afghanistan continues backing them, it should not expect friendship with Pakistan,” he warned.

According to a report by Amu, the Pakistani military echoed this warning, claiming that Afghan nationals had participated in recent attacks and that some groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army, were operating from Afghan territory with alleged support from India.

The Taliban administration in Kabul has not publicly responded to these allegations. The warnings come amid a surge of violence in northwestern Pakistan. The United Nations sanctions monitoring team has also reported that various militant networks, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State affiliate ISIS-K, continue to operate inside Afghanistan.