Pakistan has reiterated that militant groups operating from Afghan soil remain a threat to its security, describing them as “proxies of India,” as Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visits Islamabad.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told a weekly press briefing that groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) continue to maintain sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
“These are essentially India’s proxies, working to destabilize Pakistan and create security challenges for us,” Khan said, adding that the issue remains central to Islamabad’s discussions with Taliban authorities. He noted that Pakistan has recently seen “greater receptiveness” from Kabul regarding its core concerns.
The Taliban government has consistently rejected Pakistan’s allegations, even as bilateral delegations continue to exchange visits amid tensions over cross-border militancy and Islamabad’s mass deportation of Afghan migrants.
Some observers say the expulsions of Afghan refugees are partly aimed at pressuring the Taliban to address Islamabad’s security concerns.
Muttaqi earlier announced that he would travel to Pakistan in early August for talks following the Taliban government’s annual performance review in Kabul.
