The information ministry on Sunday rejected Afghanistan’s claims of Pakistani forces’ alleged involvement in any “internal clashes” in the neighbouring country’s Nuristan province.

“The allegations by the Afghan Taliban regime linking Pakistan with the alleged violence in Nuristan are frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth,” the information ministry’s “fact-check” account on X said.

It added: “Pakistan categorically rejects the fabricated claims of involvement by its security forces or intelligence agencies in any internal clashes in Nuristan or elsewhere in Afghanistan, including allegations of recruiting or training former Afghan security personnel or facilitating Daesh or any other terrorist group operating in Afghanistan.”

The information ministry’s statement came after Afghanistan’s defence ministry alleged that Pakistan-backed individuals had crossed the border and were involved in the reported violence.

The information ministry pointed out that “not a shred of evidence has been produced to substantiate Pakistan’s involvement; no identities, documents, communications, forensic evidence or independent verification”.

It further noted that an alleged video “being peddled on social media to support this false claim only shows a few unarmed individuals who are not even properly dressed or equipped were arrested in what seems to be a pre-planned video shoot by Afghan Taliban regime, well known for lies and fabricated claims”.

“Instead of externalising responsibility for its internal security challenges through fanciful allegations, the Afghan Taliban regime should take credible and verifiable action against terrorist organisations operating from its territory and fulfil its commitments that Afghan soil will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country.”

The statement further said it was “particularly ironic for the Afghan Taliban regime to accuse Pakistan of supporting terrorism while terrorist organisations operating from Afghanistan continue to pose a direct threat to Pakistan and regional security”.

The ministry highlighted that the presence and activities of “terrorist groups of all types inside Afghanistan are well documented”, including in successive reports of the United Nations and other neutral international organisations.

“Attempts to manufacture a Pakistani connection cannot obscure the reality that these terrorist groups continue to find sanctuary and [a] permissive environment for growth in Afghan territory,” it asserted.

“Such claims by this non-inclusive, non-representative Taliban regime are also reflective of lies to externalise internal dissent and oppression of women, children and minorities,” the ministry said.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

According to a UN Security Council-mandated monitoring report — covering the period from Dec 16, 2025 to June 9, 2026 — Afg­han Taliban’s continued support for TTP has contributed to a rise in the frequency and lethality of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, even as Kabul has taken some initial steps to rein in the group.

The report also pointed to growing operational and facilitation linkages among the TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

Pak-Afghan tensions

Ties between the two neighbours have been strained in the past few years as Islamabad continues to voice its concern over cross-border terrorism. Meanwhile, September witnessed another bout of conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On Sept 21, in response to recent major terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan conducted “calibrated” airstrikes in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts, with the government saying more than 28 terrorists were killed.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, which was launched on the night of Feb 26 in response to unprovoked cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban.

Days later, Pakistan shot down eight drones launched from across the border that had entered Pakistani airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat. It was also reported that the Afghan Taliban engaged in unprovoked firing the night before near Kurram as security forces foiled an attempt by terrorists to cross into Pakistan.

In retaliation to the drone incursion, Pakistan conducted “precision aerial and drone strikes” in 10 locations across Afghanistan.

On Friday, the information ministry dismissed claims by the Afghan defence ministry of a Pakistani post having been destroyed near the Spin Boldak border — the frontier between Balochistan and Kandahar.