In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Afghanistan was already awash with large quantities of sophisticated weapons and military equipment left behind following the withdrawal of US and coalition forces.
The ministry said the abandoned weapons and equipment were estimated to be worth around $7.2 billion. It added that Afghanistan also possessed substantial stocks of Soviet-era weapons accumulated during decades of conflict.
The statement came hours after Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry claimed it had discovered and seized “dozens of tons of light and heavy weapons” allegedly smuggled from Pakistan.
Pakistan said attempts to establish a Pakistani connection to the seized weapons appeared intended to divert international attention from what it described as a more serious and documented concern.
It alleged that terrorist groups continued to find space, facilitation and operational freedom on Afghan soil to plan, support and carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
Islamabad called on the Afghan Taliban authorities to address the presence of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan instead of making what it termed implausible accusations and shifting blame.
Pakistan also urged the Afghan Taliban to honour their repeated commitments that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country.
Cross-border attacks have increased sharply in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to prevent terrorist organisations from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
However, Pakistan says the Afghan Taliban regime has failed to take effective action against militant groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February this year, months after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes at several border points.
Despite multiple rounds of talks, Pakistan and Afghanistan have so far failed to reach a lasting agreement, with Islamabad maintaining that the key obstacle remains the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to take action against terrorist groups operating from its territory.
