ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has officially lodged a strong diplomatic protest with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan over a recent deadly terrorist assault in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Pakistani government summoned the Afghan ambassador and issued a formal demarche, condemning the attack carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as Fitna al Khwarij, which resulted in the martyrdom of 11 Pakistani soldiers.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement described the attack as a heinous act involving a vehicle-borne suicide bombing followed by an armed raid on a military and law enforcement post in Bajaur. The incident, which took place on February 16, also saw the killing of at least 12 terrorists believed to be backed by India. The Pakistani military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed these casualties and highlighted the attack’s brutality.
Expressing deep concern, Pakistan’s foreign office emphasized that the TTP, whose senior leadership is believed to operate from Afghanistan, continues to exploit Afghan territory with impunity. Despite multiple assurances from the Afghan Taliban leadership, Pakistan asserted that no tangible action has been taken against terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.
The demarche demanded that the Afghan Taliban take immediate and verifiable steps to dismantle all terrorist networks, including their leadership, within their borders. Pakistan also made it clear that it retains the right to take unilateral action against TTP militants and their affiliates, wherever they may be, to defend its citizens and territorial integrity.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has seen an increase in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in border provinces like KP and Balochistan. The security situation has prompted Pakistan to intensify counterterrorism efforts; in 2025 alone, Pakistani security agencies conducted over 75,000 operations across the country, with a significant focus on KP and Balochistan.
In a recent press briefing, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry disclosed that approximately 5,397 terrorist incidents occurred nationwide last year, with the majority in KP and Balochistan. The operations resulted in the killing of nearly 2,600 terrorists and targeted numerous attacks, many involving Afghan militants and aimed at civilians and soft targets.
Pakistan’s persistent efforts to combat terrorism and its calls for Afghan action reflect ongoing tensions and the complex security dynamics in the region. The Pakistani government continues to hold Afghan authorities responsible for preventing the use of Afghan soil by militant groups threatening peace and stability in Pakistan.
