Pakistan categorically rejects Afghan Taliban’s ‘frivolous and baseless’ Nuristan allegations

• No evidence produced to substantiate Pakistan’s involvement.
• “Attempts to manufacture Pakistani connection cannot obscure reality.”
• Pakistan urges Taliban regime to take action against terror groups.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday categorically rejected allegations made by the Afghan Taliban regime linking Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies to alleged violence in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, calling the claims “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth”.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a fact-check statement rejecting the Taliban’s accusations, including allegations that Pakistani agencies had recruited or trained former Afghan security personnel or facilitated Daesh or any other terrorist group operating in Afghanistan.

“Not a shred of evidence has been produced to substantiate Pakistan’s involvement — no identities, documents, communications, forensic evidence or independent verification,” the statement said.

The fact-check came in response to a statement issued by the Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Defence, which claimed that several groups affiliated with Daesh, along with what it called elements of subversion, had crossed the Durand Line into the Kamdesh district of Nuristan with the support of Pakistani militias.

The Taliban claimed their security forces had killed 28 of the alleged infiltrators and captured 32 others alive, while the rest fled back across the Durand Line.

Meanwhile, the ministry also dismissed a video circulating on social media to support the claims, saying it merely showed a few unarmed individuals who were not even properly dressed or equipped, in what appeared to be a pre-planned video shoot by an Afghan Taliban regime “well known for lies and fabricated claims.”

The statement pointed to successive reports by the United Nations and other neutral international organisations documenting the presence and activities of various terrorist groups inside Afghanistan, saying attempts to manufacture a Pakistani connection could not obscure the reality that these groups continued to find sanctuary and a permissive environment for growth on Afghan territory.

“It is particularly ironic for the Afghan Taliban regime to accuse Pakistan of supporting terrorism while terrorist organisations operating from Afghanistan continue to pose a direct threat to Pakistan and regional security,” the statement said.

Pakistan urged the Taliban regime to take credible and verifiable action against terrorist organisations operating from Afghan soil and fulfil its commitments that Afghan territory would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country, rather than deflecting responsibility through fabricated accusations.

The ministry also said the Taliban’s claims reflected attempts to externalise internal dissent and conceal the regime’s oppression of women, children and minorities.