Pakistan says Taliban deny full control over militants using Afghanistan’s territory

Pakistan’s federal minister for parliamentary affairs has said the Taliban have not denied that militant groups operate from Afghanistan’s territory against Pakistan, but have instead claimed they lack full control over the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said talks with the Taliban in Doha and Istanbul showed that Taliban officials acknowledged the presence of militant activity, while disputing responsibility for containing it.

“They did not deny that terrorism was being carried out from Afghan soil,” Chaudhry said. “They only denied having complete control over the TTP,” he added, calling on the Taliban to “stop this dirty game.”

Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry went further, saying traces of nearly every major militant organisation in the world could be found in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

“If footprints of global terrorist organisations exist in two dozen places in one country, that country is Afghanistan,” he said, warning that such actions would carry long-term consequences.

The remarks highlight growing divisions within Pakistan over how to address cross-border militancy, following comments by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who challenged the federal government to present evidence backing its claims.

“If Afghan soil is being used against Pakistan as claimed, then proof should be presented to the state,” Afridi said, adding that he could not rely on assertions without documentation.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering and enabling the TTP, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban have consistently denied allowing Afghan territory to be used against neighbouring countries and say they do not support the TTP.

Taliban officials have not yet responded to the latest statements by Pakistani ministers.