The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has strongly condemned the barbaric terrorist attack on civilians and police officials offering Juma prayers in Kohat.

In a social media post on X, the Ministry said the attack, perpetrated by the vilest of Khawarij with roots in Afghanistan, reminds us that terrorism has no religion and no justification. It said those who perpetrate, facilitate or shelter such acts are the worst among humankind.

The Ministry said Pakistan has repeatedly raised grave concerns over the use of Afghan territory by Fitna al-Khawarij and other terrorist groups to plan and launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

It stated that the presence of terrorist sanctuaries, alongside their recruitment and support infrastructure in Afghanistan, poses a direct threat to Pakistan's security. These concerns have been conveyed repeatedly to the Afghan Taliban regime and their interlocutors and they must dismantle these networks rather than deflect responsibility.

The Ministry termed it reprehensible that Afghan Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has the audacity to threaten Pakistan with a "crushing response" while his regime actively sponsors terrorism in Pakistan.

It said the Afghan Taliban must address the terrorist ecosystem thriving under their patronage instead of trying to deflect responsibility and malign Pakistan. The statement added that such antics cannot obscure their counter-terrorism obligations under the Doha Agreement or their responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used to threaten other countries.

The Ministry said Pakistan has noted the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs' condemnation of the Kohat attack and its expression of sympathy for the victims' families, while omitting mention of terrorism in the statement. Notwithstanding, condemnation must be matched by concrete action.

It demanded that the Afghan Taliban must take credible, verifiable and sustained measures to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries, disrupt radical recruitment and training networks, and prevent terrorist groups from planning, facilitating or launching attacks against Pakistan.

It said Pakistan has consistently pursued dialogue and constructive engagement with the Afghan Taliban, but would not allow pretence of dialogue to shield those who threaten our people.

The statement further said Pakistan has both the will and the capability to eliminate terrorist threats wherever they are and will take all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to protect its citizens, territory and sovereignty.

The Ministry warned that the continued presence and activity of terrorist groups in Afghanistan will aggravate instability, with serious regional and global repercussions. It urged the international community to push the Afghan Taliban regime to act decisively and verifiably to counter this menace before the threat spreads further across the region and beyond.