Pakistan raises concern over growing Afghanistan-India engagement

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday voiced concern over expanding ties between Afghanistan and India, as Islamabad grapples with a sharp rise in militant attacks and vows to eliminate terrorism.

Speaking to reporters, Tarar criticized repeated visits by Afghan officials to India, alleging they form part of a “foreign-funded agenda” aimed at destabilizing Pakistan. He questioned the nature of such engagement, linking it to militant violence inside the country.

India and Afghanistan have repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s claims of supporting armed groups.

His remarks follow visits to India last year by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi and Public Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali — among the highest-level Afghan engagements with New Delhi since 2021.

According to Pakistan’s military, the country recorded 5,397 militant incidents in 2025, including 3,811 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,557 in Balochistan. Security forces conducted more than 75,000 intelligence-based operations, killing 2,597 militants.

Tarar said the government remains determined to combat terrorism in all its forms and ensure the security of Pakistani citizens amid escalating militancy.

Meanwhile, Mohibullah Wasiq, chief of staff at the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan, highlighted in a post on X late Monday the balanced foreign policy of the Islamic Emirate and announced that expanding bilateral relations with India based on the principle of mutual respect is one of the important priorities of the country’s foreign policy.

According to him, after four years of IEA rule, this new stage of relations provides an important opportunity to strengthen economic cooperation, develop trade, consolidate bilateral relations and secure common interests between the two countries.