Pakistan Calls Terrorism a Red Line in Rebuke of Afghan Taliban; Rubio Says Taliban Not Doing Enough
Pakistan has issued a fresh warning to the Afghan Taliban, with its Ministry of Information and Broadcasting saying on October 31 that terrorism is a red line, the security of Pakistani citizens is non-negotiable, and Islamabad reserves the right under international law to take all necessary measures to eliminate threats to its security.
The statement followed remarks by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who told Hurriyat Radio that Islamabad's policies were obstructing a resolution and that Pakistan lacked readiness for peaceful dialogue. Pakistan rejected that as blame-shifting, saying the fundamental obstacle to normal relations was Kabul's persistent refusal to eliminate militant sanctuaries on Afghan territory.
Islamabad named the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) among the groups it says launch attacks from Afghan soil, citing United Nations and United States assessments in an October 24 statement. Figures compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, cited by Geo.tv, put militant attacks inside Pakistan at 225 in September 2026, the highest monthly tally in 12 years.
Speaking to reporters in Atlanta after the G20 foreign ministers' meeting on October 31, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Pakistan believed the Afghan Taliban were not doing enough to constrain attacks originating from their territory and had taken action of its own. "We obviously have heard those concerns on their part. We obviously don't want them to be targeted by terrorism," he said.
The Taliban authorities have denied allowing militants to use Afghanistan as a base for attacks against Pakistan. Neither side announced a new schedule for talks in this exchange.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：巴基斯坦首都 Islamabad 的费萨尔清真寺日落实景（资料图）。照片：M.irfan44，开放授权，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Sunset view of Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan (file photo). Photo by M.irfan44, open license, via Wikimedia Commons.
