ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has warned of further action if Afghan soil continues to be used for “terrorist activities” inside Pakistan, state media reported on Monday.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated over a rise in militant attacks in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces that border Afghanistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups of using Afghan territory to plan and launch cross-border attacks. Kabul denies the allegation.

This year, Pakistan’s military carried out multiple airstrikes against what it said were militant targets in Afghanistan, following a series of bombings, though Taliban authorities contested the claims.

“Pakistan has the right to take all necessary measures if Afghan territory is used for terrorist activities in Pakistan,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan broadcaster on Monday.

The minister urged Afghan authorities to fulfil their “responsibilities and end cross-border infiltration.”

There was no immediate response from Kabul to the statement.

It came a day after Pakistan’s military said two army soldiers and six TTP militants were killed during a counterterror operation in the KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district.

In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded security forces for the successful operation and reiterated his commitment to completely eliminating “terrorism” from the country