Pakistani Clerics Urge Taliban to Implement Afghan Scholars’ Anti-Extremism Resolution

The Council of Religious Scholars of Pakistan has officially called on the Taliban administration to implement a resolution reportedly approved by over 1,000 Afghan clerics living abroad. The resolution aims to combat extremism and prevent the misuse of Afghan territory.

According to Pakistani media, Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, head of the Council of Religious Scholars of Pakistan, said the Taliban administration holds responsibility for enforcing the declaration. Ashrafi described the document as a “positive step” and claimed there is no disagreement between Afghan and Pakistani religious scholars on the issue.

Ashrafi outlined the main points of the resolution, stating that Afghan scholars reject any violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty, while Pakistani clerics condemn terrorism within their own country. Both sides, he noted, agree that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used against any other country, including Pakistan, and vice versa.

Emphasizing the importance of regional peace and stability, Ashrafi acknowledged the roles of countries such as Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia in facilitating dialogue between Pakistan and the Taliban administration. However, he warned that any protest or action against the Pakistani armed forces would be met with a strong response. He added that religious centers and mosques in Pakistan are ready to defend national security and stability if necessary.

Ashrafi also urged Pakistan’s political parties to set aside their differences and engage in serious dialogue to strengthen national defense, the economy, and internal stability. He criticized the use of inflammatory and hate-filled rhetoric in politics and said scholars from all Islamic schools of thought in Pakistan agree that violence is unacceptable, advocating instead for peaceful paths toward political change.

These remarks come as the Taliban administration continues to deny the presence and activity of terrorist and militant groups within Afghanistan, insisting that Afghan territory will not be used against other nations. Nonetheless, Pakistani officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about these assurances and continue to call for the complete dismantling of anti-Pakistan groups, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operating in Afghanistan — an issue that remains a central point of contention between Islamabad and the Taliban administration.