Pakistan Army Tells Afghan Taliban to Choose Between Islamabad Ties and Support for Pakistani Taliban

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has stated that Afghanistan’s Taliban administration must choose between maintaining relations with Islamabad and supporting the Pakistani Taliban. Speaking at a meeting with Pakistan’s armed forces officers, Munir emphasized that the message has been clearly conveyed to the Taliban authorities, urging them to clarify their stance.

General Munir warned that the Taliban’s failure to heed this request would have clear consequences. In recent years, relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have become increasingly strained due to the activities of the Pakistani Taliban and growing cross-border security concerns.

The Taliban administration has repeatedly been accused of tolerating or supporting certain militant groups operating near Afghanistan’s eastern border. Experts believe that this new stance by Pakistan’s military leadership may escalate pressure on the Taliban and heighten existing political and security challenges. Criticism about the Taliban’s ambiguous policies toward extremist groups also continues to mount.