ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday called on the Taliban authorities in Kabul to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan, warning such militant violence threatened regional stability and would not be tolerated.
Speaking to reporters in London after concluding a two-day official visit to Belarus, Sharif reiterated Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to uphold its commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement, which called for preventing armed groups from operating on Afghan territory.
“We have always said Afghanistan is a neighboring and brotherly country,” his office quoted him as saying in a statement after the media interaction. “As neighbors, we have to live together — the choice is whether to do so peacefully or through conflict.”
Sharif said Pakistan had sent several messages to Kabul, emphasizing that Afghan soil must not be used for militancy under any circumstances.
“But unfortunately, the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], ISKP [Islamic State Khorasan Province] and other terrorist outfits continue to operate from there and have martyred innocent Pakistani civilians,” he added.
The prime minister vowed the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s civilians and armed forces would not go in vain, adding that the Afghan authorities should take immediate action against militant groups.
“My sincere advice to Afghanistan is to rein in these terrorist organizations at once and not allow them to use Afghan land under any circumstances,” he said.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have risen in recent years following a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Islamabad blames the TTP, a banned outfit ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban, for orchestrating cross-border violence from safe havens inside Afghanistan — a charge the Taliban administration has repeatedly denied.
Amid the bitterness between the two countries, Pakistan has deported hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals since late 2023, citing security concerns while prompting criticism from rights groups and calls for dialogue from Kabul.
Pakistan PM calls on Kabul to ‘rein in’ militant groups launching cross-border attacks
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Pakistan PM calls on Kabul to ‘rein in’ militant groups launching cross-border attacks
- Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul has grown amid militant attacks in Pakistan’s border provinces
- PM Sharif says both countries must decide whether they want to live peacefully or through conflict
Pakistani stocks lose over 6,000 points due to heavy selling, regional tensions
- KSE-100 index fell 6042.26 points or by 3.21 percent to close at 182,338.12 points, Pakistan Stock Exchange data states
- Analysts say heavy selling triggered by Fauji Fertilizer Company’s earnings announcement, which fell short of expectations
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw a massive drop of over 6,000 points on Thursday, which financial analysts attributed to heavy selling in the market and geopolitical tensions between Iran and the US.
The KSE-100 index fell by 6042.26 points or 3.21 percent to close at 182,338.12 on Thursday evening, the PSX data showed, down from the previous close of 188,380.38 points.
The development took place as US President Donald Trump warned Iran this week that “time is running out” for the nation to negotiate a deal on its nuclear program, following the steady build-up of US military forces in the Gulf.
Meanwhile, Pakistani brokerage firm Topline Securities said equities witnessed a sharp sell-off in the stock market on Thursday, causing Pakistani stocks to plunge into a “severe downturn.”
“The steep decline was largely driven by Fauji Fertilizer Company’s (FFC) earnings announcement, which fell short of market expectations due to weaker-than-anticipated gross margins,” Topline Security’s Senior Equity Trader Naveed Nadeem said.
Nadeem noted that the FFC, United Bank Limited (UBL), Engro Corporation (ENGROH), Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC), and Hub Power Company (HUBC) collectively shaved 3,155 points off the benchmark index during the session.
Najeed Warsi, chief business officer at Al Habib Capital Markets, agreed.
“FFC’s [Fauji Fertilizer Company] below-expectation results didn’t help, triggering a sell-off,” he added.
Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Commodities, said geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran triggered the selling activity as well as the central bank’s recent decision to keep policy rate unchanged.
“Geopolitical uncertainty and SBP [State Bank of Pakistan] status quo in the policy rates projecting high inflation played a catalyst role in selling activity at PSX,” he said.
Pakistan’s central bank held its key policy rate unchanged at 10.50 percent on Monday, defying market expectations for further easing.
