Terrorism from Afghan soil must come to end, Sardar Masood Khan
Islamabad: Former president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan has said that Pakistan’s demand that Afghanistan take verifiable and decisive action against terrorism before the restoration of border crossings and transit trade is not new, but remains the central condition for normalising relations between the two countries.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sardar Masood Khan in a statement said Pakistan had consistently raised the issue since 2021 and had invested heavily in bilateral diplomacy, later involving China, Qatar and Türkiye, to persuade the Afghan authorities to prevent Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated groups from using Afghan territory against Pakistan. He said the same demand remained valid five years later: Afghan soil should not be allowed to serve as a base for attacks against Pakistan.
He said any restoration of transit trade and broader bilateral relations would require a credible understanding followed by concrete and verifiable action. According to him, the Afghan authorities would need to end financial, logistical and operational support to TTP and prevent the group from using Afghan territory for training and attacks. He added that such commitments could be verified through Pakistani intelligence capabilities and, where appropriate, joint monitoring mechanisms.
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Sardar Masood Khan said previous assurances had not produced the required confidence, including proposals for relocating TTP operatives and statements condemning attacks against Pakistan. He argued that future arrangements must therefore be supported by a written agreement, clear commitments and measurable implementation.
He described TTP as a major security concern for Pakistan and said the wider presence of terrorist organisations in Afghanistan had implications beyond Pakistan. United Nations reporting has identified TTP, Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups as operating in Afghanistan, while noting that TTP attacks against Pakistan had increased and that the group had been accorded greater liberty and support by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.
Sardar Masood Khan also expressed concern over Afghanistan becoming a potential hub for transnational terrorism. He said the consequences could affect Pakistan, China and Central Asian states and stressed that Afghanistan’s own people were suffering from instability, economic weakness and humanitarian difficulties.
He said improved Pakistan-Afghanistan relations could eventually open opportunities for economic connectivity, including Afghanistan’s participation in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the development of a regional trade artery linking Russia and Central Asia with Pakistan and the Arabian Sea.
