Kabul – Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, in a press briefing on Saturday, asserted that the resurgence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is purely an internal Pakistani problem and unrelated to the governance of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Mujahid claimed that large-scale attacks in Pakistan predated the Taliban’s return to power, emphasizing that casualties and incidents on Pakistani soil have been ongoing since 2002.

Mujahid’s comments come amid ongoing tensions along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, where numerous Afghan nationals have been killed in recent counter-terror operations conducted by Pakistani security forces. Officials describe these incidents as clear violations of both the Doha Accord and the Istanbul ceasefire. Despite the inconclusive Istanbul negotiations ending November 7, the ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Türkiye on October 30, 2025, included a commitment that Afghan soil would not be used to facilitate attacks against any state.

Analysts and officials have criticized Mujahid’s statements as misleading and self-contradictory. Evidence from multiple sources indicates that the Taliban regime continues to exercise limited control over parts of its territory, while TTP and allied groups operate freely from Afghan provinces.

Intelligence and United Nations reports repeatedly highlight that senior TTP commanders operate in Kunar, Nangarhar, and Paktika, provinces under the nominal control of Kabul. UN quarterly reports further document the continued presence of Al-Qaeda training camps in Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Uruzgan, and Zabul, alongside active networks of TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) across southern and eastern Afghanistan. Additionally, CIA and other intelligence briefings confirm that Hamza bin Laden and other senior Al-Qaeda figures reside in Afghanistan under Taliban protection. The killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri in July 2022, in a secure compound in Kabul, further underscores that senior Al-Qaeda leaders have found safe haven under Taliban oversight.

The 36th UN Monitoring Report (2025) states that TTP maintains approximately 6,000 fighters across six Afghan provinces, with joint training facilities shared with Al-Qaeda. TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud is documented to reside in Kabul, reportedly receiving a monthly stipend of USD 43,000 from Taliban authorities.

Officials argue that the Taliban’s narrative blaming Pakistan contradicts consistent evidence from the UN, the US State Department, and independent investigations, all confirming Afghanistan’s role as a sanctuary for TTP, BLA, ISKP, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).The ongoing debate highlights Islamabad’s insistence that Afghanistan take responsibility for ensuring its territory is not used to launch attacks against Pakistan, while pointing to the growing disconnect between Taliban statements and verified intelligence on cross-border militancy.

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