Ground sources report that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) convened a high-level executive council meeting in Kabul on January 1, raising serious questions over the Afghan Taliban’s repeated assertions that the group is not operating from Afghan territory.
According to sources, the meeting was held in Kabul’s upscale Wazir Akbar Khan district and was chaired by TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud. The session reportedly focused on finalising the group’s leadership structure and operational strategy for 2026, particularly targeting activities inside Pakistan.
Security at the meeting was described as exceptionally tight. Participants were subjected to strict checks, with mobile phones, smartwatches, and all electronic devices prohibited. Senior TTP figures were reportedly shifted to undisclosed locations overnight following the session, underscoring concerns about counter-surveillance and security threats.
Sources further disclosed that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a previously affiliated militant faction, was excluded from the TTP’s organisational framework and instead held a separate meeting in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. The parallel meetings indicate coordinated militant activity across multiple Afghan regions.
Taliban Denials Under Scrutiny
The reported Kabul meeting directly contradicts Taliban officials’ repeated claims that Afghan soil is not being used for armed activities against neighbouring countries. Pakistan has consistently maintained that TTP leadership and infrastructure continue to operate freely from Afghanistan, posing a grave cross-border security threat.
The TTP, led by Noor Wali Mehsud since 2018, significantly intensified its campaign in Pakistan in recent years. Security assessments indicate that more than 600 attacks were recorded in 2025, largely concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in heavy casualties among security personnel and civilians.
Rising Cross-Border Tensions
In response to the escalating violence, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on suspected TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, including reported operations in Kabul, Khost, and Paktika in October 2025. These actions led to heightened diplomatic friction and intermittent cross-border clashes.
Efforts to revive dialogue between Islamabad and the TTP, including talks mediated by Qatar and Türkiye in 2025, failed to yield tangible results, with Pakistan insisting on verifiable action against militant sanctuaries as a precondition for progress.
Regional and International Alarm
Concerns over militant activity in Afghanistan have also been echoed by regional and global powers. In September 2025, a joint quadrilateral statement by Russia, China, and Iran warned that groups including ISIS, al-Qaeda, the TTP, and Jaish al-Adl continue to use Afghan territory as a base for operations.
During the Moscow Format Talks in October 2025, Russia and Central Asian states expressed alarm over the growing presence of ISIS-Khorasan, al-Qaeda, and the TTP inside Afghanistan. Similarly, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) cautioned that militant concentrations in northern Afghanistan pose a serious risk to regional stability.
The United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and neighbouring states have repeatedly urged the Taliban to fulfil counter-terrorism commitments to prevent Afghanistan from reverting to a hub for transnational militancy.
Humanitarian Fallout
Analysts warn that continued militant activity is further deepening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. Nearly 22 million Afghans are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, amid widespread poverty, food insecurity, and restrictions on women and girls under Taliban governance.
Diplomatic observers note that alleged tolerance of armed groups not only fuels regional insecurity but also undermines Afghanistan’s prospects for international recognition, development assistance, and economic recovery.
