All available resources being used to eliminate terrorism from KP: Dar

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Tarar warns Afghan Taliban not to mistake Pakistan's preference for peace for weakness

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar says the government had no alternative to imposing an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urging all provinces to join the fight against terrorism as Islamabad calls on Afghan authorities to end cross-border attacks.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has defended the decision to impose an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the government had been left with no other option as Pakistan intensifies its campaign against terrorism.

Addressing a seminar on the changing counterterrorism landscape, Dar said the elimination of terrorism required coordinated action by the federation and all provinces, adequate resources and international cooperation. Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar also warned the Afghan Taliban regime against mistaking Pakistan’s desire for peace for weakness.

Dar acknowledged that imposing an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not an easy decision, but said the government had been left with no alternative under the prevailing circumstances.

He said all available resources were being used to eliminate terrorism from the province and stressed that every province must fulfil its responsibility in the national counterterrorism effort. He further said Field Marshal Asim Munir was determined to eradicate terrorism and that security operations were being conducted daily under his directives.

He added that the fight against terrorism could not be confined to policy statements, stressing that every institution had a responsibility to address the threat. The federation and provincial governments must work together to achieve lasting results.

Dar described terrorism as one of the greatest challenges confronting Pakistan, the region and the wider world. He said Pakistan had endured enormous human and economic losses during its long fight against militancy.

According to Dar, Pakistan has sacrificed more than 90,000 lives in the war against terrorism, while its economy has also suffered severe damage. He said Pakistani forces and law enforcement agencies had confronted terrorism with courage, bravery and resilience, working day and night to protect the country.

Dar recalled major tragedies, including the Army Public School (APS) attack, the Jaffar Express incident, and the abduction and killing of labourers in Balochistan. He also referred to the taking of train passengers hostage and said Pakistan had repeatedly faced attacks targeting innocent civilians.

He stressed that merely acknowledging Pakistan’s sacrifices was not enough and called on the international community to provide practical support to strengthen the country’s counterterrorism capabilities.

Dar said the government had adopted new approaches to counterterrorism under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership. He noted that the prime minister had approved the Azm-e-Istehkam vision after consultations with provincial governments and other stakeholders. The objective, he said, was not only to eliminate terrorists but also to address the underlying causes of terrorism.

Dar emphasised that law enforcement agencies needed sufficient resources and enhanced operational capacity to tackle the threat effectively. He called for greater international cooperation to strengthen their capabilities.

He also reiterated that Pakistan remained committed to eliminating terrorism completely and that the country’s resolve would not weaken.

A major part of Dar’s address focused on allegations that terrorist groups were operating from Afghan territory and launching attacks inside Pakistan. He said Pakistan had repeatedly urged Afghan authorities not to allow their soil to be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country.

Dar said he had visited Afghanistan three times to discuss the issue. During these engagements, he added, Afghan officials had presented a lengthy list of concerns involving trade, refugees and other matters for 2025.

However, he said Pakistan’s central demand had remained unchanged: Afghan territory must not be used to plan or carry out terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

Dar also recalled travelling to Kabul with China’s foreign minister for trilateral discussions. A meeting involving Pakistan, China and Afghanistan took place in Kabul in August 2025, but he said the threat of terrorism originating from Afghanistan had persisted despite these diplomatic efforts.

He expressed disappointment that Afghan authorities had not fulfilled their commitments on counterterrorism and called on the rulers in Kabul to meet their responsibilities.

Dar said the presence of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan posed a serious threat to regional peace and security. He said terrorists were crossing the border to attack Pakistani soldiers and civilians, despite Pakistan having installed a security fence along the Afghan border.

Dar described terrorism originating from Afghan soil as unacceptable and called for an immediate end to attacks against Pakistan. He also urged the Afghan Taliban regime to halt all forms of support for terrorist groups, including the provision of weapons.

He said Pakistan had provided substantial humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and had also conveyed its concerns to the World Bank and other international forums.

According to Dar, Pakistan had consistently informed the international community about its counterterrorism efforts and its concerns over cross-border militancy. He stressed that the international community should support Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate terrorism.

Dar also argued that taking action against terrorist groups was in Afghanistan’s own interest, warning that the Afghan government could eventually face consequences if it failed to address the threat.

Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar, speaking at a seminar on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, described Sunday’s development concerning the province as a positive step that would empower its people to fight terrorism. He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wanted terrorism to be eliminated completely and the province to be freed from the threat permanently.

Tarar cited United Nations and independent assessments to claim that more than 6,000 members of the banned TTP were present in Afghanistan, while the total number of terrorists there exceeded 20,000. He said Pakistan could not allow terrorist groups to use safe havens in Afghanistan to launch attacks across the border.

Tarar warned the Afghan Taliban regime not to mistake Pakistan’s preference for peace for weakness, adding that the government remained committed to eliminating terrorism and transforming Pakistan into a haven of peace.

Dar said terrorism and extremism had no place in Islam, stressing that those who killed innocent people could not claim religious justification for their actions. He said no individual or group should be allowed to commit terrorist acts under the guise of religion.

The deputy prime minister reiterated that Pakistan supported peaceful coexistence, good neighbourly relations and the peaceful resolution of disputes. He said Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace were well known internationally.

Dar also warned that attempts to spread negative propaganda against Pakistan would fail, saying the country had presented its counterterrorism strategy and proposals for addressing the threat to the international community.

He further alleged that India was involved in supporting terrorism in Pakistan and referred to the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav as evidence of what Pakistan has described as Indian involvement in terrorist activities.

The deputy prime minister also criticised the economic consequences of political sit-ins and protests, saying such activities had caused substantial losses to the national economy in the past.

He said Pakistan had suffered serious economic damage because of sit-ins and warned that prolonged protests could undermine economic activity at a time when the country needed stability and growth.

Dar’s remarks linked national security with economic stability, arguing that the country needed coordinated efforts to overcome terrorism while protecting its economic recovery.

Dar also discussed regional security cooperation under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, saying its primary objective was to promote peace and stability rather than target any particular country. He said the headquarters of the trilateral alliance formed under the agreement had been established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while a committee was working to finalise additional details of the arrangement.

Dar said the agreement was not directed against any specific country and emphasised that individual and collective self-defence was permitted under the United Nations Charter. He added that other countries in the region could also join the agreement, arguing that the time had come for regional states to develop a more independent defence framework.

The deputy prime minister said the region was facing multiple challenges, including terrorism and wars, making cooperation on security increasingly important.

Dar also referred to wider regional developments, saying the situation had become more complicated following incidents in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

He alleged that both the United States and Iran had violated the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), adding that the developments had further complicated diplomatic efforts.

Despite these challenges, Dar said Pakistan remained committed to peaceful coexistence and believed that maintaining good relations with neighbouring countries was a shared responsibility.

He called on Afghan authorities to honour their commitments and ensure that their territory was not used to threaten Pakistan or other countries.

Dar said Pakistan would continue fighting terrorism until the threat was eliminated, while pursuing peaceful relations and trade opportunities across the region.

He also reiterated Pakistan’s ambition to promote trade routes extending from Central Asia to the Arabian Sea, saying regional stability was essential to achieving that goal.

The deputy prime minister concluded that Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism would remain firm, while stressing that international recognition of its sacrifices must be accompanied by meaningful cooperation.

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