Pak-Afghan security forces to carry out coordinated operations: Sartaj Aziz

E-Paper | March 03, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Saturday said security forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to carry out coordinated operations against terrorists along the Pak-Afghan border.

Aziz, who yesterday stated that the massacre by the Taliban in Peshawar was “Pakistan’s 9/11”, said that the Afghan leadership in Kabul has assured the Pakistani army of full cooperation in countering terrorism.

Take a look at:Gen Raheel visits Kabul, seeks handover of Mullah Fazlullah

The adviser's remarks comes days after Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif travelled to Kabul where he secured assurances from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well as International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) commander General Joseph Dunford of complete cooperation in security-related matters.

In his latest remarks, Aziz also said that Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has not been released and that the government was reviewing a petition regarding his case.

Also read: Mumbai attack 'mastermind' Lakhvi detained under MPO

Responding to a question, Aziz said standard operating procedures for better border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been finalised and would be presented for approval before a joint military group meeting expected to take place shortly.

He also expressed hope that India would show significant progress in the Samjhauta Express case.

More on this: India urged to prosecute Samjhauta Express perpetrators

The Samjhauta Express blast that took place in the Delhi-Lahore train in 2007 had left nearly 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead.

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Justice

Dec 20, 2014 01:40pm

Please get retire this man and find someone suitable who knows what they are talking about. Is he aware of 21st century security and FO matters???

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Sunil

Dec 20, 2014 01:49pm

Mr. Sartaz Aziz now deal with, playing with fire for ages.

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Ahmed USA

Dec 20, 2014 02:05pm

Great News!!!...It would be wonderful to see Pakistan and Afghan Armed Forces...two brotherly nations...helping each other shoulder to shoulder...in a path to progress, peace and prosperity...

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Ganga Din

Dec 20, 2014 02:08pm

Attack on the school was a coordinated operation. What else is coming? I would think that big honchos in all intelligence agencies would be gone by now. Why no body is talking about intelligence failure? If the communications were intercepted as the government seems to imply, why no action was taken immediately?

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adnan

Dec 20, 2014 02:15pm

don't fool the people. this will never work. there are rogue elements in afghan side. as afghan since 1840's have never accepted the durand line as a border or non interferring LOC. as late as 2006/7 Karzai pronounced the same snetiment and position in his statement. if this nation were one, the govt would collect donations on behalf of army and put mines and trip wires as well as sensor and audio transmitters across the 2,500 (appx.) kms LOC. whether the UN or afghan or usa would protest, let them. just raise an agressive view point internationally and stick to it in diplomatic dialogue. this will tell the world that only way to come from afghan is through proper border control and otherwise you will be in violating pakistani land and endanger your life.. ... but the sad part is, this will never happen.

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Omar

Dec 20, 2014 02:38pm

This is a welcomed move by both countries. Only together will we finally eradicate our border regions of these terrorists who are a menace to us. This is sure to pay dividends! #pakistanandafghanistan #brothers #family

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Pashtun

Dec 20, 2014 03:10pm

Thanks Afghanistan. Lets show Afghans & the world that this time we are serious. It is really Pakistan 9/11. Lets reciprocate Afghans with handing over Molla Berader & forty others in our jails or under house arrest. Haqanis, Molla Omer & Gulbadin should be asked to leave immediately or arrested & handed over to the elected govt of Afghanistan. Pashtoonkhwa Government has already decided to start remove all camps in settled areas including Shamshato camp in a moth time. Lets avoid similar massacre in future, we have already failed our kids and I am sure right initiatives & policies with support from Afghanistan & US will help us closing this terror factory, we created in first place.

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TINKU

Dec 20, 2014 03:20pm

If pakistan is serious on their actions, they can tackle it properly, otherwise if it is an eyewash for the time being, it can never be changed. Anyhow the time will tell the exact truth. We wish them all the success i their opeations to get a good neighbour and a peaceful atmosphere in pakistan.

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Dec 20, 2014 03:35pm

Two weeks ago Mr. Sartaz sab wanted to keep good militants, how the mind changed now for coordinate work with Afghanistan ? Please show some maturity atleast while speaking.

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Sohail Khan

Dec 20, 2014 04:02pm

@adnan Atleat give them a chance to cooperate. Everybody knows there is little Afghan security forces could do to eliminate these terrorists not because they don't want to but because they don't have capacity to. Pakistan (despite being strong military power) has so far failed to implement their constitution in FATA (People of FATA are crying to abolish FCR and bring in FATA reforms), maintaining law and order seems far from reality. The policies of Karzai were unrealistic. Neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan could maintain peace without each other's cooperation and Mr Ghani is well aware of this fact.

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A Khan

Dec 20, 2014 04:05pm

For heaven sake, we don't want you. Please retire and let someone better take over this job. In the meanwhile, please play with your grands.

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Zeeshan

Dec 20, 2014 04:21pm

Pakistan Army must not participate in any operation on the Afghanistan soil. But they can send war planes to bomb the Taliban hide outs.

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T.M. Reddy

Dec 20, 2014 04:30pm

What other country you want to attack under the name of US 9/11? The school attack on children was by Pakistan Taliban terrorists, indeed confirmed by Taliban. 9/11 attack is not from US - but from other country or countries.

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T.M. Reddy

Dec 20, 2014 04:35pm

This person appears very mature. But, talks are very immature. A fews ago he said good Taliban terrorists are our friends. Now, he comes up with some more weird talk of parallels with US 9/11. US attack is not from their own citizens.

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Guest

Dec 20, 2014 04:44pm

Is this the same person that said Pakistan should not go after the good terrorists. Now they all feel that they have the right to get full cooperation from all countries in the area. Again this is typical sense of entitlement or (at least an attempt to see I if I can cheat the other parties) with no responsibility on my part for others. I wish the nations would grow up.

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Guest

Dec 20, 2014 04:46pm

@Ahmed USA Also get strategic depth in bonus. Just fall in our lap. Great move.

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Guest

Dec 20, 2014 04:55pm

I thought 9/11 it self is fake.

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Protester

Dec 20, 2014 05:15pm

Do not wait for Afghans to coordinate Find your on coordination an Kill the SHAITAN/TALIBN, or any threat to Pakistan.

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Key Points

Dec 20, 2014 06:29pm

Pakistan needs a strong Foreign Minister to take a strong stand on political issues for Pakistan. Why NZ has not appointed a Foregn Minister for Pakistan during past 18 months? If there is no one in PML(N) part eligible for FM job, than considersome capable person from other political parties, or an academic, a university professor or a retired public service person. Is Foreign Minister job is to be kept open for full PML(N) term?

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Banda

Dec 20, 2014 07:58pm

NS seriousness is evident by giving this senile old man microphone Minimizing to mini- 911. Shame on you on real enemy of Pakistan is the political leaders that stand with cowards

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arslan

Dec 20, 2014 08:24pm

@Ganga Din the people whose communications were intercepted were in Afghanistan and Pakistan can't carryout that operation without getting Afghans onboard.

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sudhakar

Dec 20, 2014 08:38pm

"He also expressed hope that India would show significant progress in the Samjhauta Express case." This man is beyond ridiculous. What about Pakistan showing "significant progress" in the Mumbai case? Oh wait it is already showing in the likes of Hafiz Saeed and his rants.

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Taimoor Khan

Dec 20, 2014 08:38pm

@T.M. Reddy Which world you are livnig in ? By labling some organization with Pakistan doesnt make it Pakistani. All the terrorist came from Afghansitan, their planners, mastermind, the forgien supports, all are based in Afghanistan. Stop your propaganda.

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Gfellow

Dec 20, 2014 09:21pm

After 9/11, Mush agreed not to support any terrorism. It may have worked for a few weeks, no I may be days and then it was routine as usual. If Mush had stuck with the commitment he had made to International community, Pakistam would have been a much better place by now. This new initiative I'd again an eyewash. Nothing will come out of it.

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Sarah

Dec 20, 2014 10:49pm

@Guest Even people and children killed in Peshawar attack were fake? I wish you were one of the killed ones too,so that world would have been better off without 1 supporter of Terrorist less.That is the biggest problem for Pakistan that supporters and financial backers of such Taaliaban lies within Pakistan itself.Day those supporters and backers are eliminated Taaliban will be history and all woes of Pakistanis will end.

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Kris

Dec 20, 2014 11:21pm

After 9/11 US got lot of public sympathy around the world even from Islamic nations. But they squandered it away by attacking Iraq. Today Pakistan is getting a similar sympathy wave around the world. Only a strong principled stand on terrorism is going to sustain this support. But that requires leaders with a lot of spine and leadership. This man has neither.

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Security Threat

Dec 20, 2014 11:51pm

What Pakistan intelligence agencies doing? They should run undercover mission to clean up threat. These are 5-10 thousand people running the whole terror against 188 million in Pakistan. Time for 188 million to get up, take charge and clean up any threat street be street, village be village, town by town, city by city, province by province, till all the SHAITANS removed. That's how you get coordination, not by Afghans. French and Chinese revolutions are good example. People's coordination. Country be under different kind of Martial Law, People's law. Time for all Pakistanis to wake up from deep sleep. Afghan borders be sealed, apply electrify water canals along border, mines, drones, cameras and a military post every mile of the border , 2500 miles means 2500 posts with 5000 military garrison and 25 drones and 2500 cameras, 10000 mines, job done.

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Denis A Barboza

Dec 21, 2014 12:19am

I hope Mr. Sartaj Aziz finally has come to the right conclusion that all terrorists including the ones not inimical to Pakistan's interests but kill, destroy and devastate neighboring countries using the Pakistani soil should also be dealt with the full force of the law.

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Mohammad Saleem

Dec 21, 2014 01:51am

Evidently, the hand over of Mullah Fazlulha to Pakistan, without handing over Mullah Omer, Haqqanis and Gulbadin Hekmatyar, by Pakistan, will provoke a violent reaction in Afghanistan, against the Ghani's administration in Afghanistan.

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A shah

Dec 21, 2014 03:46am

Sartaj for priminister

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Mukesh Bhaskar

Dec 21, 2014 04:43am

Sartaz ji Pl. take care of your home first. Don't worry for others, what they should do or not.

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Nas

Dec 21, 2014 05:54am

@T.M. Reddy They wre living in USA and some wre probably US citizens. Many if the so called pak Taliban are from other nations sea and Uzbek etc. you don't know all the facts and are playing with semantics

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Key Points

Dec 21, 2014 07:24am

@Protester Its useless to expect any coordinated efforts from Afghanistan. Time has come for Pakistan to get tough with Afghanistan. Afghan problems are a drag on Pakistan's progress and advancement. Its afghan history to fight with occupying forces, when they leave, afghans keep fighting among themselves. Chances are afghans would be still fighting among themselves 10 years from now. Its better for Pakistan to disassociate itself from afghan problem, try to send back three million refugees back to afghanistan, and to seal the border as much as possible. Let afghans sort out their own problem.

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Ashraf Choudhry

Dec 21, 2014 09:05am

Award winning prophecy.

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