Summary
- The warning from DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, given in a Reuters interview, should not surprise anyone in Kabul.
- The DG ISPR pointed out that the United Nations and the United States have also raised alarms about groups like Al-Qaeda and ISKP operating from Afghan territory.
- That means controlling its territory, keeping its promises and not sheltering armed groups.
November 2, 2026
Pakistan’s message to the Afghan Taliban is now plain. Stop letting terrorists use your land, or face the consequences. The warning from DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, given in a Reuters interview, should not surprise anyone in Kabul. It should worry them.
Think about what Pakistan is asking. It is not asking for money, land or favours. It is asking for the most basic thing one neighbour can ask of another: do not let your soil become a launch pad for attacks on us. Any country in the world would make the same demand.
The DG ISPR alleged that commanders such as Noor Wali Mehsud, Bashir Zeb and Gul Bahadur find shelter in Afghanistan. These are allegations, but they match what Pakistanis have lived through for years. Attacks happen inside our cities and towns, and the trail keeps leading back across the border. Pakistan has paid for this with the lives of soldiers, police officers and ordinary citizens.
The concern is not only Pakistan’s. The DG ISPR pointed out that the United Nations and the United States have also raised alarms about groups like Al-Qaeda and ISKP operating from Afghan territory. When many voices say the same thing, a government should listen.
A regime that wants to be taken seriously must act like a state. That means controlling its territory, keeping its promises and not sheltering armed groups. The Taliban government also has work to do on narcotics, which the DG ISPR rightly urged the world to press for. Until it does these things, it cannot expect the global credibility it wants.
Pakistan is also right to be ready. The armed forces say they can handle any threat from Afghanistan, including drones. That is not aggression. It is a duty to protect citizens.
The door is still open. Pakistan has asked politely and repeatedly. But patience is not endless. Kabul can act against these groups and gain trust, or it can keep ignoring the problem and stay isolated. The choice is theirs, and the time to make it is now.
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