KABUL: The spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid has said that leaders should refrain from making “provocative” statements and that his country could not be held responsible for attacks taking place in Pakistan. Mujahid’s remarks come as Pakistan continues to raise alarm over terrorist outfits, particularly the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), using Afghan soil to carry out …

RAWALPINDI: Seven terrorists were killed, including three “Afghan nationals”, by security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said on Friday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation was carried out in the Kulachi area upon the presence of “khawarij”. The state uses the term …

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has warned the UN Security Council that terrorist groups operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan pose the gravest threat to its national security, urging stronger international action against networks using both physical and digital platforms to target the country. Ambassador Asim Ifti­khar Ahmed, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, told a Council meeting on Afghanistan on Tuesday that entities …

ISLAMABAD: Days after Pakistan asked the Afghan Taliban to choose whether they want to stand with their neighbour, or the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pak­­i­s­tan (TTP) militant group, a key US official has called on Islamabad to seek a political settlement with Kabul. Zalmay Khalilzad, who was named US special representative to Afghanistan during the previous Trump administration, also called on Afghanistan …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday emphasised the seriousness of the threat posed to regional peace and stability by Afghanistan-based terrorist groups, calling it a common challenge that required collaborative efforts. “Groups like Fitna Al-Khwarij represent a common threat to the peace and stability of our region, necessitating collective action to counter their malign influence,” Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday said that tremors were felt in Peshawar, Mansehra and Islamabad after another earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan. A press release from the PMD said the 5.4-magnitude earthquake occurred at 5:30pm in southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 22 kilometres with tremors felt all the way in Peshawar, Mansehra, Islamabad, Abbottabad and Swat. Meanwhile, …

KABUL: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar landed in Kabul today for the first formal trilateral meeting between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan in two years. Dar was accompanied by Pakistan’s former ambassador in Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq. The three countries made commitments to combat terrorism and deepen collaboration in areas of health, education, culture, drug trafficking, and also offering …

PESHAWAR: The federal government’s decision to expel Afghan nationals with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards , the last category of refugees legally living in the country without visas, has left those over one million people in panic. The interior ministry on Thursday issued a special regulatory order (SRO), saying PoR cards expired on June 30 this year, rendering their holders’ …

WASHINGTON: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said Pakistan received “recent assurances” from Afghan authorities that the neighbouring country’s soil would not be used for terrorism — a key issue of contention between Islamabad and Kabul. Both countries have witnessed an improvement in bilateral relations after taking steps to improve ties, such as the revival of the …

KABUL: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday discussed counterterrorism efforts in a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul. The visit comes after a series of steps between both nations to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and the upgrading of each country’s diplomats from the rank of chargé d’affaires to ambassador. …