Pakistan’s Interior Minister Accuses Afghanistan of Terrorism Amid Rising Tensions

Mohsin Naqvi, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, directly accused Afghanistan of intervening in terrorist attacks against Pakistani soil. He emphasized that the main perpetrators of these attacks are individuals who cross the Durand Line into Pakistan, and these explicit accusations are made at a time when relations between the two countries are at their worst since 2021…

Accusing Afghanistan of Intervening in Terrorist Attacks

Mohsin Naqvi, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, on Saturday during his visit to the Wana Military Academy in South Waziristan, which was the site of a deadly terrorist attack last week, unprecedentedly accused Afghanistan of directly intervening in terrorist attacks against Pakistani soil. In last week’s attack, at least three security personnel were killed. Naqvi, in discussions with local tribal elders in Wana, emphasized that the local people had no role in these attacks and that the main perpetrators are individuals who cross the Durand Line from the other side into Pakistan.

Referring to Two Recent Major Attacks

The Interior Minister of Pakistan specifically referred to two recent incidents that resulted in heavy casualties: A suicide explosion on Tuesday near the Islamabad Judicial Complex that claimed 12 lives. An attack on the Wana Military Academy that killed three security personnel. He stated that in both the Waziristan attack and the Islamabad suicide attack, the perpetrators had come from outside. Those who were sent from there [Afghanistan] attack here. He also emphasized that for a long time, none of the attacks have been carried out by local residents.

Do Not Destroy Our Country’s Message of Peace

Mohsin Naqvi, while recalling recent talks between Pakistan and Taliban officials in Qatar and Turkey, stated that Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to stop terrorist activities from Afghan soil. He reiterated: Do not destroy our country’s peace, words that Naqvi said were raised during negotiations with the Taliban. These accusations come as relations between Pakistan and the Taliban are at their worst since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Trade and transit routes between the two countries have been closed for over a month, and recent trilateral talks abroad have remained inconclusive.

Security Crisis or Political Pressure?

These recurring accusations indicate a worsening security crisis on Pakistan’s eastern borders and Islamabad’s inability to prevent the infiltration of rebel groups. This approach may also be an attempt to exert political pressure on Kabul in a situation where economic and diplomatic channels have reached a deadlock. On the other hand, the Taliban have repeatedly responded to these accusations by stating that insecurity in Pakistan is an internal issue of that country and that Kabul lacks the ability to establish security in Pakistan. The Taliban’s insistence on the crisis being internal indicates their desire to avoid any cross-border security commitments.