Islamabad:
Pakistani authorities have decided that a striking 70 percent of terrorists involved in the recent attacks carried out by the forbidden Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were Afghan citizens, a steep increase from the 5-10 percent recorded in previous years, sources of Express Pakinomist told Monday.
The surprising revelation was made by Pakistan’s special representative of Afghanistan Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq at a recently closed door meeting in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Afghanistan held in Dushanbe, according to the sources who know the development.
The disclosure led to the Iranian representative sharing his perspective and revealing that his country was also facing the similar problem. According to the sources, the Iranian representative quoted an attack on the Chabahar port, where 16 attackers were by 18 attackers.
The increased involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist attacks has set alarm bells ringing in Islamabad, where officials now see the growing Afghan footprint in cross -border terrorism as a new and dangerous trend.
According to the sources, the increase in the Taliban government’s failure or unwillingness to limit the use of Afghan Earth at TTP against Pakistan. Officials fear that the development can further exert the already troubled bond between Islamabad and Kabul.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of providing shrine to TTP leaders and warriors who grouped across the border after Pakistan’s military operations in the former tribal areas. While the Taliban has publicly refused to give the group a free hand, Islamabad insists that TTP -Safe Haven in Afghanistan remains intact.
Tensions aggravated in recent weeks after a series of deadly attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which Pakistan directly linked to militants operating from Afghanistan.
Diplomatic outreach
In a sign of growing concern, Pakistan is now increasing diplomatic commitment with regional stakeholders to mount pressure on the Taliban regime. Sources confirmed that Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy in Afghanistan, will soon travel to Tehran and Moscow to discuss the matter.
Outreach reflects Islamabad’s strategy of seeking wider regional consensus to push the Taliban to act resolutely against TTP. Both Iran and Russia remain like Pakistan on duty to extremist groups that exploit Afghanistan’s fragile security landscape.
For Pakistan, the rising involvement of Afghan citizens in TTP attacks is a worrying escalation that not only complicates border security but also raises questions about Kabul’s obligations. Officials believe that unless the Taliban is taking concrete steps, the trend could spiral into a large flashpoint in bilateral connections.
