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Pakistan’s caretaker PM says Islamabad will defend its borders at all costs
Pakistan’s interim prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said in an interview that his country’s prime responsibility lies in defending its borders, which will be protected at all cost.
In an interview with Pakistan’s Aaj News on Monday night, Kakar was asked about the recent attack by militants allegedly from Afghanistan on the Chitral district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said the authorities are “gauging” the attackers’ intention and capability.
“If there is any Westphalian idea of the state in Afghanistan that a central state authority is there and its command structure goes to the border post, it is not like that,” he said and explained that there were multiple layers of government structure.
He highlighted the bond shared by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with its ideological twin the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
When asked about Pakistan’s response as suggested by caretaker interior minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday, Kakar said: “Pakistan’s prime responsibility lies to defend its own borders and we will do that at any cost.”
When pressed, he said: “Whatever the cost is.” He added that the inclusion or exclusion of any strike in Afghanistan was not under consideration. “We think our digital space, airspace, physical space is sacrosanct. And, its sanctity would be ensured by our border management and air force.”
He highlighted that Pakistan has different mechanisms for sharing information with Afghanistan. We have many things you want people to not be nervous about because of the truth, he said.
He also wondered whether Afghanistan had a central authority after global powers spent around $3 trillion in the country between 2001 and 2021.
Kakar said the central authority project did not succeed in Afghanistan because the rest of the world went home.
“The remaining control is a de facto government, not a de jure government. It is not a legitimate government,” he stated and described the situation as a complex web.
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Terrorist activities observed along Afghanistan borders, says Lavrov
Afghan border minister holds phone talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister
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