On Bannu visit with COAS, PM says Afghanistan must choose between terrorists or Pakistan

• PM, Field Marshal attend martyrs’ funeral in Bannu.
• Afghan-based terrorists receiving backing from India: sources.
• Urgent legal steps planned nationwide against terrorism.

BANNU: Reiterating his resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Afghanistan must choose between siding with terrorists or standing with Pakistan, warning there would be zero tolerance for ambiguity on the issue.

Addressing an important high-level meeting on terrorism during his visit to Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) along with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the premier said Pakistan would continue to deliver a firm response to terrorism and those facilitating Indian proxies.

PM Shehbaz made it clear that anyone speaking in favour of foreign elements or acting as their facilitator would be treated as their "instrument and would be answered in the same language they understood".

Afghan nationals are involved in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, he said, adding that illegal Afghan residents would soon be expelled.

Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than four decades, from the Soviet invasion through the Taliban takeover in 2021. Some refugees were born and raised in Pakistan; others are still waiting for third-country relocation.

According to media reports, following a 2023 crackdown on undocumented Afghans and those exceeding legal status, more than 554,000 Afghans have been returned since April 2025 under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan — including around 145,000 in August.

The premier went on to say that the people, the state, and the armed forces of Pakistan stood united like a fortified wall against Indian proxies, rejecting politics and misleading narratives on the matter.

During his visit, PM Shehbaz also inquired after injured security personnel at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Bannu. Meanwhile, the Peshawar Corps Commander gave a detailed briefing on the regional security situation.

According to security sources, masterminds and facilitators of terrorism are based in Afghanistan and are being supported by India.

His visit came after at least 12 soldiers were martyred and 35 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij were killed in two separate operations in KP from September 10 to 13, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

In Bajaur, security forces launched an intelligence-based operation (IBO) after reports of militant presence. “Our troops effectively engaged the location, and after an intense fire exchange, 22 terrorists were killed,” the communique read.

"In a separate operation in South Waziristan, 13 more militants were killed," the military’s media wing said, adding that at least 12 soldiers also embraced martyrdom during an intense fire exchange.

Fitna Al Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is reportedly launching attacks on the country from Afghan soil.

The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.

However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the TTP to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.

Islamabad’s reservations have also been confirmed by a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has revealed a nexus between Kabul and the TTP, with the former providing logistical, operational, and financial support to the latter.

The country witnessed a sharp escalation in militant attacks in August, with incidents surging by 74% compared to July, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The Islamabad-based think tank recorded 194 fatalities from militant attacks during the month.