Pakistan military warns Afghanistan is becoming 'hub for terrorists'

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

Chaudhry told a news conference that about 2,500 foreign militants had recently entered Afghanistan from Syria following the ouster of former President Bashar Assad. He asserted, without offering evidence, that the militants were invited to Afghanistan and belonged to other nationalities, warning of security risks beyond Afghanistan's borders.

The remarks followed a Pakistan-China call Monday for more "visible and verifiable" measures to eliminate militants 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. Mujahid stated Afghanistan is an independent country with a strong security system exercising full sovereignty.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated recently, with tensions spilling into violence. In October, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on alleged Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan, prompting Kabul retaliation against Pakistani posts. A Qatar-brokered ceasefire ended the fighting.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan and India of backing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Baloch National Army, allegations denied by both Kabul and New Delhi.

Chaudhry reported Pakistan killed 2,597 militants in 2025, up from 1,053 in 2024, amid 5,397 militant attacks, nearly double the previous year's 3,014. He said Afghan nationals were involved in almost all major attacks inside Pakistan last year.