Pakistan summoned Afghanistan's chargé d'affaires and lodged a formal diplomatic protest after a militant attack on a paramilitary camp in Karachi killed three Rangers personnel on Saturday.
Islamabad said investigations indicate Afghan nationals participated in the assault, including one suspect captured alive.
Why did Pakistan summon the Afghan diplomat after the Karachi attack?
Pakistan summoned the Afghan chargé d'affaires to the Foreign Office on Sunday night to deliver a demarche over the Karachi Rangers camp attack. Islamabad said the presence of Afghan nationals among the attackers, including one arrested suspect, showed Afghan soil was being used to carry out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
What happened in the Karachi Rangers camp attack?
Militants attacked the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) camp in Karachi's Gulistan-e-Jauhar area by detonating an explosive at the main gate before attempting to breach the perimeter, the military said. Rangers personnel repelled the assault, killing three attackers and capturing a fourth wounded suspect identified as an Afghan national. Three Rangers personnel were killed and four others were wounded in the attack.
Pakistan's military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), blamed the attack on Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, describing the group as an "Indian proxy" and alleging the attackers were "Indian-sponsored." ISPR also said the group has ties to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
What did Pakistan's Foreign Office say about the Afghan nationals' involvement?
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said officials delivered a formal demarche to the Afghan chargé d'affaires in Islamabad on Sunday night. Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, simultaneously presented a parallel demarche to Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul. "The involvement of Afghan nationals once again demonstrates that Afghan soil and Afghan nationals continue to be used to orchestrate terrorist attacks inside Pakistan," Andrabi said.
What has Pakistan demanded from Afghanistan?
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan. The latest diplomatic protest comes amid continuing security tensions between the two neighboring countries. Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir offered condolences to the families of the killed Rangers personnel, saying their sacrifices reinforced the country's commitment to national security.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to militant groups since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Afghanistan's government has consistently denied those allegations.
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