THE message from Islamabad to Kabul seems to be clear: any act of terrorism inside Pakistan found to be linked to Afghanistan will invite a kinetic cross-border response. After the attack on a Rangers facility in Karachi on Saturday, the state said it had launched strikes at targets both inside Afghanistan and along the border, eliminating at least 29 terrorists, including a militant ‘commander’.

The Karachi attack, in which three security men were martyred, has been linked to the Jamaatul Ahrar group, a banned outfit with ties to the proscribed TTP. This is the first major terrorist attack in Karachi this year, and marks a return to ‘action’ of the hitherto silent JuA. A detained suspect involved in the assault said he came from Jalalabad and prepared for the attack in South Waziristan. The government has reissued an order for the arrest of Afghans without valid visas from July 10, while the Foreign Office has issued a demarche to the Afghan chargé d’affaires over the Rangers attack.

The acts of terrorism, and the state’s response, illustrate the difficult nature of the Afghan conundrum, specifically the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to act firmly against terrorist groups on their soil. Faced with never-ending attacks, Pakistan has no choice but to fight back and hit the terrorists in their lairs. The only way to end this cycle of conflict is for the Afghan Taliban to act maturely and prevent attacks on neighbouring states. Pakistan’s strong responses have brought down the frequency of terrorist attacks, but perpetual conflict is not a long-term solution.

Moreover, the state needs to boost its intelligence-based operations. While earlier attacks were taking place mostly in the tribal and remote parts of KP and Balochistan, the Karachi incident may point to the return of terrorism in urban centres. The state must prepare for this contingency, and prevent violent actors from carrying out their malevolent plans.

There can be no disagreement about the need to unearth foreign terrorist sleeper cells and militant networks active in Pakistan. This argument is strengthened with the reported links of Afghan nationals to recent acts of terrorism. But the approach to ordinary Afghan refugees must remain humane, and there should be no forceful repatriation. These individuals should be sent back to their homeland with dignity, as per mutually acceptable frameworks. They should not be punished due to the mistakes of their rulers.

Ultimately, the Afghan Taliban must make a choice: either they can decide to address Pakistan’s legitimate concerns and rein in their terrorist friends. Or they can continue on the current path, remain isolated, and be prepared to face the consequences for their support to terrorist groups hell-bent on harming Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2026