Pakistan urges Afghanistan to act against militants and denies recruiting Afghan fighters

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan called on Afghanistan's Taliban administration on Saturday to provide concrete measures against militants they claim are operating from Afghan soil, rejecting Kabul's claim that Islamabad is deflecting responsibility for its own security issues. Pakistan's Information Ministry rejected claims that it was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban or recruiting them to combat anti-Pakistan insurgents, contradicting statements from former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad who had cited such reports.

Tensions between the two nations have escalated due to militant activity, frequent border skirmishes, and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, intensifying a persistent disagreement over accountability for cross-border violence.