The Afghan Taliban government has moved to offer implicit yet coordinated reassurances to Pakistan by combining a nationwide religious fatwa with official political pledges, days after deadly border clashes and renewed accusations of cross-border militancy strained relations between the two neighbors.
In a rare show of unity and scale, more than one thousand Afghan clerics from across the country gathered in Kabul on Wednesday, where they issued a political and jurisprudential statement declaring that Afghan territory would not be used to harm any other country. The gathering, held under the banner of the “Seminar on Defending and Protecting the Islamic System,” was attended by Interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund and a wide array of senior Taliban officials, signaling strong endorsement from the highest levels of the interim government.
The fatwa pledged that preventing Afghan soil from being used for external conflicts is a religious obligation binding on all Muslims, warning that anyone violating this commitment would be deemed disobedient and face “necessary measures” by the authorities. While stressing that defending Afghanistan’s sovereignty remains a religious duty, the statement simultaneously urged restraint, emphasizing that Afghan land must not become a base for attacks against other states.
The clerics further declared a ban on Afghans traveling abroad to participate in any form of military activity, stating that such actions constitute disobedience and obligating the government to prevent them. This provision was widely interpreted as an indirect reference to Afghans joining militant groups operating across borders, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement also urged Islamic countries to maintain friendly and positive relations within a framework of brotherhood, avoid division and discord, and resolve disputes peacefully — language seen as a clear attempt to defuse escalating tensions with Pakistan following recent violence along the frontier.
Hours after the fatwa’s issuance, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi publicly reaffirmed the government’s commitment to its contents, reinforcing the message through official channels. In remarks carried by state media, Muttaqi said all Afghan scholars had unanimously renewed their fatwa obligating the ummah to protect the Islamic system and uphold the leadership’s directives.
He reiterated that the Taliban leadership has made a “categorical commitment” that Afghan soil will not be used to harm any individual or any state, stressing that obedience to this pledge is mandatory for all Muslims. He added that the scholars had clearly stated the Islamic Emirate has the right to take action against any Afghan who violates instructions by engaging in military activities outside the country.
The timing of the religious and political declarations is significant. They come amid mounting pressure on Kabul following a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan that Islamabad attributes to groups operating from Afghan territory, most notably the Pakistani Taliban. In the latest incident, six Pakistani soldiers were killed on Tuesday when a security post was attacked in the Kurram area near the Afghan border. Pakistani officials have blamed the escalation on militants using sanctuaries across the border to plan and launch attacks.
Kabul has consistently rejected these allegations, maintaining that it has no operational links with the TTP and does not permit any group to use Afghan soil against neighboring countries. However, the renewed violence has reignited border confrontations, including an exchange of fire last Friday that left four people dead, raising fears of a broader breakdown in the fragile ceasefire along the frontier.
By pairing a nationwide clerical fatwa with explicit political messaging and the visible presence of senior leadership — including the chief justice, ministers for virtue and vice, higher education officials, and other top figures — the Taliban appear to be sending a calibrated signal to Islamabad. Observers say the move reflects a coordinated effort to contain Pakistani anger, ease diplomatic pressure, and project an image of control over militant activity at a time when Kabul’s ability to enforce security commitments is under scrutiny.
While Pakistan has yet to formally respond, the Taliban’s dual religious and political pledge underscores Kabul’s attempt to reassure its neighbor without directly acknowledging responsibility for the violence — a balancing act that will likely shape the next phase of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
