Pakistan also highlighted United Nations monitoring reports documenting the continued presence and activities of militant

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information has rejected former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s allegations that Islamabad is arming Afghans to fight the Taliban, describing the claims as “baseless and misleading.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry accused Khalilzad of promoting speculative narratives and diverting attention from the Afghan Taliban government’s responsibility to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.

Khalilzad, who served as the US special representative for Afghanistan during the first Trump administration, claimed on social media platform X that Pakistan was allegedly arming Afghans to fight the Taliban. He also suggested that Islamabad was recruiting Afghans to combat anti-Pakistan insurgents.

The ministry rejected the allegations, distinguishing Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations against militant groups operating from Afghan territory from claims that Islamabad was sponsoring armed groups inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan also highlighted United Nations monitoring reports documenting the continued presence and activities of militant organisations, including the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda, inside Afghanistan.

The ministry reiterated that Pakistan has made significant sacrifices in combating terrorism and maintaining regional peace and security. It also accused Khalilzad of overlooking concerns about militant activity originating from Afghan territory.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations Remain Tense

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated amid Islamabad’s repeated concerns about cross-border terrorism and the presence of anti-Pakistan militant groups in Afghanistan.

The tensions have been accompanied by border clashes, reported drone incursions and Pakistani airstrikes targeting what Islamabad describes as terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan.

Khalilzad, who negotiated the US agreement with the Taliban that paved the way for the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, has previously called for dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul to resolve their differences.

The latest exchange of accusations highlights the continuing diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government, with counterterrorism concerns remaining a central point of disagreement.

Note: The allegations against Pakistan remain disputed. The ministry’s response represents Islamabad’s official position, while Khalilzad’s claims have not been independently established in the provided report.