Upper house urges Kabul to cease hostile acts

Senate passes resolution condemning unprovoked Afghan Taliban aggression

ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Parliament on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution that condemned the unprovoked aggression by the Afghan Taliban, and demanded that the neighbouring country immediately cease all hostile actions and prevent the use of its soil for terrorism or aggression against Pakistan

The House, through the resolution moved by PPP Parliamentary Leader Sherry Rehman, condemned the recent unprovoked aggression and hostile cross-border actions from Afghanistan, describing them as blatant violations of international law, established diplomatic norms, and the principles of peaceful neighbourly relations.

The Senate declared that any attempt to challenge the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or national security of Pakistan constituted a direct affront to the dignity of the nation and would be met with a firm, proportionate, and decisive response.

“For over forty years, Pakistan has borne extraordinary economic, social, and security burdens in hosting millions of Afghan nationals, extending humanitarian assistance, facilitating peace efforts, and consistently advocating for Afghanistan’s stability in international forums often at immense cost to its own national development and internal security,” it said.

It expressed deep disappointment that instead of reciprocal goodwill, Pakistan continued to face hostile rhetoric, cross-border violations, and the persistent presence of anti-Pakistan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil, reflecting a troubling pattern of ingratitude and disregard for bilateral understandings.

“While Pakistan remains committed to constructive engagement, regional peace, and mutually respectful relations, its patience must not be misconstrued as weakness, nor its desire for stability mistaken for inability to respond decisively,” the resolution said.

It demanded that the Afghan Taliban regime immediately cease all hostile actions, prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism or aggression against Pakistan, and honour their international obligations and commitments to peaceful coexistence.

The Senate also called upon the international community to take serious note of these developments and to urge the Afghan Taliban regime to adhere to international norms and prevent further destabilisation of the region.

Speaking in the Senate, Rehman said that Pakistan had exercised maximum restraint and upheld all diplomatic avenues, but recent hostile actions from Afghan soil had compelled the state to respond within the framework of the international law.

“The agreements that the Afghan Taliban signed in Doha have now been forgotten. Everyone can see the level of adherence to the commitments made in the presence of important stakeholders,” she remarked.

Meanwhile, PTI Parliamentary Leader Barrister Syed Ali Zafar said, “Pakistan always comes first and that the entire Pakistani nation stands united against terrorism.”

He further stated: “In case of aggression, the nation has both the right and the resolve to respond decisively in defence of its sovereignty.”

Senator Zafar said that since the birth of Pakistan, two countries — India and Israel had tried to damage it.

“These two nations came together and decided a long time ago that they would use Afghanistan’s soil to destabilise Pakistan,” he said.

“Today, two well-known criminals of the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have again gotten together,” he said.

Senator Zafar also suggested establishing a permanent regional body, comprising neighbouring and regional stakeholder states, like China, to ensure compliance with a collective security framework addressing terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. Staff Report