Pakistan Rejects Afghan Taliban’s ‘Frivolous’ Weapons Smuggling Claims
At a glance
- Pakistan rejected Afghan Taliban claims of weapons smuggling as baseless.
- Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued the statement on August 9.
- Afghanistan possesses significant abandoned US and Soviet-era weaponry.
Story so far
On August 9, Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected claims by the Afghan Taliban that weapons were being smuggled from Pakistan into Afghanistan, labeling them "baseless and contrary to facts." The ministry stated that Afghanistan already holds an estimated $7.2 billion worth of modern military equipment left by US and allied forces, alongside large caches of Soviet-era weapons. It argued that linking these weapons to Pakistan is a diversionary tactic aimed at diverting attention from the presence of terrorist groups operating freely on Afghan soil, which are involved in planning attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad has called on the Afghan Taliban to take effective action against these groups and ensure its territory is not used for terrorism.
Latest development
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's statement, shared on X, underscored Pakistan's ongoing efforts to press the Afghan Taliban on controlling terrorist sanctuaries. This follows recent assertions by Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir to crush cross-border terrorism and a November 2025 warning to the UNSC regarding abandoned weapons.
Latest updates
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shared its statement on X, further elaborating on Pakistan's stance. The ministry highlighted that Pakistan has been continuously urging the Afghan Taliban regime to control terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan and prevent violent groups from conducting terror activities against Pakistan from its territory. Officials indicate these appeals have largely gone unheeded.
Last month, following multiple major attacks in Balochistan, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir asserted that terrorism originating from across the border would be crushed with the full might of the state. Additionally, in November 2025, Pakistan warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the acquisition of abandoned weapons by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan poses a threat to peace.
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