Islamabad Warns Kabul Over ‘Impunity’ of TTP Leadership

News Desk 

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday summoned a representative of the Afghan mission and lodged a strong demarche with the Afghan Taliban regime over a deadly terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district that claimed the lives of 11 Pakistan Army soldiers.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the vehicle-borne suicide attack followed by a fire raid on a joint checkpost of security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) on February 16. The attack was carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to as Fitna al Khwarij.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 12 terrorists belonging to an India-backed proxy were killed during the exchange of fire, while 11 security personnel embraced martyrdom in the line of duty.

During the demarche, Pakistan conveyed its serious concern that the TTP leadership continues to operate from Afghan territory with impunity. The Foreign Office reiterated that despite repeated assurances from the Afghan Taliban regime, no visible or concrete action has been taken against terrorist elements using Afghan soil to target Pakistan.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/islamabad-suicide-attack-orchestrated-by-ttp-chief-tarar/

The Afghan authorities were urged to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terrorist groups operating from their territory, including dismantling their leadership and infrastructure.

The spokesperson further stated that Pakistan reserves the right to respond and eliminate TTP militants and their affiliates wherever they may be found, in order to safeguard its soldiers, civilians and territorial integrity.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, have been particularly affected.

Earlier, Director General of ISPR, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, during a press conference on January 6, revealed that law enforcement agencies conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025.

Providing a breakdown, he said 14,658 operations were carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other parts of the country.

He added that 5,397 terrorism-related incidents were reported nationwide last year, including 3,811 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,557 in Balochistan, and 29 in the rest of the country.

Lt Gen Chaudhry further disclosed that 2,597 terrorists were killed in counterterrorism operations during the year. Detailing 10 major attacks, he noted that civilians and soft targets had been deliberately targeted, and Afghan militants were involved in all of them.