Afghan Taliban Accused of Misleading Narrative on Pakistan, Critics Reject Anti-Afghan Claims

Kabul/Islamabad –Zabihullah Mujahid in his press briefing on Saturday (8 Nov) claimed that elements in Pakistan’s military oppose a strong, stable, and peaceful Afghanistan. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid further alleged that religious scholars and others, even within Pakistan’s military, oppose what he described as “anti-Afghan policies of Pakistan.”

Mujahid’s statement also falsely suggested that the formation of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) coincided with the rise of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), portraying it as a product of Pakistan’s actions.

Pakistani analysts and officials have dismissed these claims as deliberate propaganda aimed at maligning Pakistan while diverting attention from the Taliban government’s failures. Observers emphasize that Pakistan continues to face terrorism emanating from Afghan soil and that the nation firmly supports its armed forces and government in combating cross-border threats. The claims, which attempt to portray Pakistan as internally divided and unreliable, conveniently ignore the documented and persistent driver of the current bilateral impasse: Kabul’s demonstrable failure to honor its counter-terrorism commitments.

The stalemate in relations is not a product of Pakistani political whims or a fabricated civil-military divide. It is the direct result of Kabul’s refusal to dismantle the cross-border terror infrastructure operating freely from Afghan soil.

Mujahid’s statements overlook the core catalyst for the present tension. The primary source of friction is the escalating campaign of cross-border terrorism orchestrated by the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) from sanctuaries within Afghanistan. This is not a vague allegation but a reality supported by intelligence reports and the loss of Pakistani civilian and military lives.

A favored talking point from Kabul, repeated by Mujahid, is the alleged civil-military divide in Pakistan’s policymaking. Analysts call this narrative a convenient, baseless tool used to deflect criticism and sow confusion.

“Perhaps the Taliban should recognize that the Pakistani nation stands united against Afghanistan-backed terrorism,” said a security analyst. “Afghanistan needs to understand it has no genuine support in Pakistan. The Pakistani people have rejected the narrative of Afghan victimhood and are weary of repeated falsehoods.”

The sentiment is strongly reflected across Pakistani social media, where citizens have expressed solidarity with the armed forces. Religious scholars and academic leaders have also condemned the TTP and Afghanistan’s backing of militants through multiple fatwas.

In 2023, Pakistan’s Mufti Taqi Usmani, one of the world’s most prominent Islamic scholars and former Justice of the High Court of Pakistan, issued a fatwa declaring that armed activities against Pakistan, including by the TTP, are rebellion and haram (forbidden) in Islam. He stated that fighting national security forces constitutes mutiny, not jihad, and labeled the TTP a rebel group.

Other influential scholars, including Mufti Abdur Raheem and senior Deoband school authorities cited by the TTP and Afghan Taliban, reinforced Usmani’s decree. In a significant move, Karachi-based seminaries from which TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali earned his degrees, Jamia Al-Arabia Ahsanul Uloom and Jamia Darul Uloom Yaseen Ul Quran, revoked his Dora-e-Hadith and Takhasus fil Fiqh al-Islami credentials.

Observers stress that Afghanistan must ensure its territory is not used to launch attacks against Pakistan. “Ignoring the reality is just closing your eyes. Afghanistan must take responsibility and curb terrorism emerging from its soil,” said a political commentator.

Pakistan continues to urge the Afghan Taliban regime to act decisively against terrorist groups operating within its territory and to fulfill commitments under international agreements.

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