ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Pakistan has formally conveyed strong protest to Afghan authorities following a deadly suicide attack in Bannu, urging immediate action against militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan soil.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Afghan chargé d’affaires and issued a firm demarche over the May 9 assault on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which left 15 policemen and several others injured.
Officials said preliminary investigations and intelligence findings suggested that the attck was orchestrated by militants based in Afghanistan. Islamabad expressed serious concern over what it described as the continued use of Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan.
The government emphasised that counterterrorism remains a shared responsibility and called on Afghan authorities to take “concrete and verifiable” steps against groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist organisations.
Pakistan also cautioned that it reserves the right to respond decisively to protect its national security if such incidents persist.
The Bannu attack involved a vehicle-borne explosive device that struck the Fateh Khel police post, followed by a coordinated assault using heavy weapons and drone support, according to security officials.
The incident comes amid strained ties between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan repeatedly urging action against militant sanctuaries since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
