Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, described the statement of Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry as “contrary to facts”.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Wednesday, Mujahid said: “The recent statements by the Pakistan Army are not only factually incorrect but also violate the standards expected from a responsible military office.”

He added, “Afghanistan is a sovereign and stable country with a strong security framework and capable leadership. It exercises full authority over its entire territory.”

Mujahid further emphasised: “We want to make it clear that interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and threatening remarks are in no way acceptable to the Afghan people.”

He urged relevant Pakistani authorities to exercise caution in their public statements, taking into account the delicate nature of bilateral relations.

The remarks came in response to a press conference held on Tuesday by DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in which he claimed that Pakistan witnessed 5,400 terrorist incidents last year, with security forces eliminating 2,597 terrorists.

The DG ISPR stated that terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, Daesh and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), were using Afghanistan as a base for attacks inside Pakistan.

He further stated that Afghan nationals were involved in major terrorist incidents in Pakistan last year, and that Afghanistan had become a hub for terrorists worldwide.