Pakistan denies reports of allowing US to use its territory for strikes in Afghanistan

Pakistan’s military has denied reports claiming that the United States is using Pakistani territory or airspace to conduct drone strikes or military operations in Afghanistan, calling the allegations “completely baseless.”

Military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters that “no such arrangement exists between Islamabad and Washington,” stressing that Pakistan’s territory “will never be used for any action against another country.”

His remarks followed comments by Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), who said that American drones were regularly entering Afghan airspace from Pakistani territory. Mujahid said Kabul had formally requested Islamabad to prevent the use of its land and airspace for such operations.

Chaudhry rejected those claims and emphasized that Pakistan conducts its own counterterrorism operations independently, without coordination or cooperation with the United States. He said Pakistani forces had eliminated 112 foreign fighters in various security operations over the past few months.

The military’s response comes just days before a new round of Pakistan–Afghanistan talks, set to begin on November 6 in Turkey.

The discussions will follow six days of negotiations that were held in Istanbul last month. The talks focused on border security, counterterrorism, and trade cooperation.

Regional analysts say Pakistan’s latest comments reflect the increasing sensitivity surrounding airspace violations and cross-border security allegations, which have further strained ties between Kabul and Islamabad since the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in 2021.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan maintains that respecting territorial sovereignty is key to maintaining peaceful relations and has urged neighboring countries to cooperate through dialogue and mutual understanding.