Speaking at a high-level forum in Turkmenistan dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust 2025, the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th Anniversary of Turkmenistan’s status of permanent neutrality, Sharif said the region is once again facing a rising threat.

“The scourge of terrorism is raising its head yet again, and this time unfortunately from Afghan soil,” he stated. “As we are dealing with this menace, we need the international community to urge the Afghan Taliban regime (IEA) to fulfil its international obligations and commitments and rein in terrorist elements operating from its territory.”

Sharif also expressed appreciation for regional countries that have been working to de-escalate conflicts and promote stability.

“We are very grateful to our brotherly countries — Qatar, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran — for their sincere desire and efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire, which as I speak is still very fragile,” he added.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are organized by militants operating from Afghan soil.

The Islamic Emirate, however, denies the allegation, saying it cannot be held responsible for security in Pakistan.

Trade between the two countries was halted on October 11 following airstrikes in Afghanistan and clashes near the Durand Line.

Türkiye stands ready to help sustain the truce between Pakistan and Afghanistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during their meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the International Peace and Trust Forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

According to Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications, Erdogan said Ankara is committed to strengthening its “good relations” with Islamabad and will work to deepen cooperation in energy, trade and investment.

Welcoming the recent extension of the Pakistan-Afghanistan ceasefire, Erdogan noted Ankara’s readiness to contribute to the mechanism established to maintain the absence of conflict.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are organized by militants operating from Afghan soil.

The Islamic Emirate, however, denies the allegation, saying it cannot be held responsible for security in Pakistan.

Trade between the two countries was halted on October 11 following airstrikes in Afghanistan and clashes near the Durand Line.

Joe Kent, Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), told a congressional committee that two thousand Afghans evacuated to the United States in 2021 are believed to have links to terrorist organizations.

Kent said these individuals are part of a group of 88,000 Afghans who entered the United States under the “Operation Allies Welcome” program following the collapse of the former Afghan government. According to him, these evacuees “were not properly vetted,” and the screening process was insufficient.

He also referred to the recent attack in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan evacuee shot two National Guard soldiers, killing one and injuring the other. Kent said the attacker had also arrived in the United States through the Afghan evacuation effort.

The NCTC director added that U.S. security agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, are jointly investigating the two thousand Afghans identified as having suspected links to terrorist organizations. He said that in addition to Afghans, U.S. authorities have also identified 16,000 people from other countries who entered the United States despite having “possible ties” to terrorist groups.

These claims come as debates continue in Washington over how the Afghan evacuation was managed and the security implications that followed.