Pakistan Rejects Afghan Taliban Claims Over Nuristan Violence

Pakistan’s information ministry on Sunday rejected allegations by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities that Pakistani forces were linked to reported violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, calling the claims baseless and unsupported by evidence.

The ministry said the allegations attempted to connect Pakistan with internal clashes across the border, including claims about Pakistani security or intelligence involvement. Officials dismissed accusations that Pakistan had recruited or trained former Afghan security personnel or facilitated any militant group operating inside Afghanistan.

According to the ministry’s statement, Kabul had not provided names, documents, communications, forensic material or independent verification to support its position. The response also questioned a video circulating on social media, describing it as an unreliable attempt to build a narrative around unidentified, unarmed individuals shown in custody.

The statement came after Afghanistan’s defence ministry alleged that Pakistan-backed individuals had crossed the border and were involved in violence in Nuristan. The Pakistani side said such claims were an effort to shift attention away from Afghanistan’s own internal security challenges.

Officials urged the Taliban administration to take verifiable action against terrorist organisations operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan has repeatedly said that groups based across the border continue to threaten its security, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The ministry also referred to international assessments that have documented the presence and activities of militant networks inside Afghanistan. It said terrorist groups continue to find space to operate there, creating risks for Pakistan and the wider region.

The latest exchange comes during a tense period in relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan has recently reported cross-border attacks, drone incursions and militant movement from Afghan territory, while also saying it carried out calibrated strikes against terrorist hideouts following attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The dispute is expected to add further pressure to already strained ties. Pakistan is likely to continue pressing Kabul for action against sanctuaries used by banned groups, while Afghan authorities may maintain their accusations as both sides trade public statements over border security and militancy.