ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday said that the Afghan chargé d’affaires had been summoned and handed a strong demarche over the suicide attack in Bannu that claimed the lives of 15 police personnel.
In an official statement, the FO said the Afghan diplomat was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey Pakistan’s protest regarding the “cowardly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) attack” carried out by terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khawarij on the Fateh Khel police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on May 9.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term used by the Pakistani state for terrorists associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al Hindustan refers to terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan.
According to the FO, Pakistan informed the Afghan side that a detailed investigation into the incident, along with evidence and technical intelligence gathered so far, indicated that the attack had been masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan.
The ministry also reiterated Pakistan’s serious concerns over the continued use of Afghan territory for terrorist attacks against Pakistan. The Afghan authorities were informed that Pakistan reserved the right to respond decisively against those responsible for the “barbaric act”.
The FO further highlighted that the presence of various terrorist organisations on Afghan soil, and the permissive environment allowing them to operate, had already been documented in reports by the United Nations Monitoring Team and other international organisations.
“The fight against terrorism is a common cause, and the Afghan Taliban must honour their commitment not to allow their territory to be used for terrorism against other countries,” the FO stated.
Pakistan also reminded the Afghan Taliban regime that it had repeatedly urged Kabul to take concrete and verifiable action against Fitna al Khawarij, Fitna al Hindustan and ISKP/Daesh elements allegedly operating from Afghan territory.
The statement added that Pakistan had engaged constructively with the Afghan Taliban through several rounds of dialogue facilitated by friendly and brotherly countries. However, according to the FO, the Afghan Taliban had consistently failed to either commit to or take meaningful and verifiable action against the terrorist outfits.
The Afghan Taliban regime was also categorically informed that Pakistan would not compromise on its national security or the safety and protection of its citizens if Afghanistan continued to harbour such terrorist organisations, the FO concluded.
At least 15 police officers were martyred and three others injured late Saturday night after terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu before launching coordinated attacks from multiple directions using heavy weapons and drones.
Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan confirmed that 18 police personnel were present at the post at the time of the assault. He said the initial attack began when militants drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the police facility.
Following the massive explosion, the attackers launched intense gunfire and carried out a multi-pronged ground assault, according to officials. “Fifteen were martyred and three sustained injuries,” the RPO said.
A senior administration official in Bannu told AFP that the assailants had also used quadcopters during the attack.
Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence in terrorism since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP, but Pakistani officials say those concerns have largely gone unanswered.
Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched on the night of February 26 following what Pakistan described as unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.
Between March 18 and March 23, Pakistan observed a five-day temporary pause in the operation on the occasion of Eidul Fitr. The FO later clarified that the operation would continue “until its objectives are achieved”.
According to statements issued by both sides, requests for de-escalation from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye contributed to the temporary pauses announced during the tensions.
Earlier in March, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir stated that lasting peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan would only be possible if the Taliban regime renounced its support for terrorism and terrorist organisations.
In April, Pakistan and Afghanistan held talks in China’s Urumqi, where both countries agreed to avoid further escalation in their armed conflict.