Pakistan Hands Taliban a Diplomatic Protest Note Over Drone Incursions

Pakistan’s foreign ministry says it has delivered a diplomatic protest note to the Taliban administration after what it described as the entry of 23 “provocative” drones from Afghan territory. The move comes after the Taliban administration had earlier rejected Pakistan’s claim that the drones had entered from Afghanistan.

Sajjad Haider Khan, spokesman for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, told Afghanistan International that the note was handed to the Afghan side yesterday following the September 23 incident. According to him, the protest was raised in response to “provocative drone intrusions.”

Pakistan had previously claimed it shot down 23 drones that had entered from Afghan territory in various areas, including Kohat and near the Torkham crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Taliban administration, however, called the claim baseless and said such statements were unsupported by evidence.

The incident comes amid growing security tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban administration. In recent months, Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration of failing to stop armed groups opposed to Pakistan from operating on Afghan soil.

The Taliban administration has denied the allegations and said it does not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country. Tensions rose further after Pakistan also said last week that it had shot down dozens of drones it said had entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan.

The Torkham crossing is one of the most important routes for travel and trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and any security tension around it could affect movement and relations between the two sides.