Web Desk: Afghan military commander Gen. Sami Sadat has extended Independence Day greetings to Pakistan while urging closer cooperation between Pakistan and Afghan forces opposed to the Taliban.
In a message posted on X on Aug. 14, Sadat congratulated the Pakistani people and said regional peace would depend on efforts to dismantle militant networks and strengthen security cooperation.
He also called on Pakistan’s security forces to support the Afghan United Front (AUF), presenting the group as part of a broader effort to challenge the Taliban and arguing that greater coordination could serve the security interests of both countries.
Sadat said lasting peace and stability in the region required the removal of terrorist networks. He urged Pakistan and the AUF to coordinate against what he described as threats emanating from the Taliban.
His remarks come amid continuing tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and renewed concerns over militant activity in the region.
The call also highlights the growing political and security debate among Afghan groups opposed to Taliban rule over how neighboring countries should respond to the security situation in Afghanistan.
The statement came as Pakistani security forces reportedly responded to an attack on border positions in the Kurram sector.
According to Pakistani security sources, Taliban forces based in Afghanistan opened fire on Pakistani border posts with heavy weapons, mortars and other arms.
Pakistani forces responded with artillery and light and heavy weapons, targeting several positions that the sources identified as belonging to the Afghan Taliban, including mortar sites and defensive posts.
The sources said Pakistani troops retained control of the affected border areas and forced Taliban fighters to withdraw from several positions following the exchange.
The latest border confrontation adds another layer to already strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised security concerns linked to militant groups operating from Afghan territory, while Taliban authorities have denied allowing Afghan soil to be used against neighboring countries.
Against that backdrop, Sadat’s Independence Day message combines a gesture of goodwill toward Pakistan with a call for a broader security partnership against the Taliban.
His appeal for cooperation between Pakistan and the Afghan United Front also reflects the complex political landscape surrounding Afghanistan, where opposition figures continue to seek international support.
Sadat argued that closer coordination between Pakistan and Afghan forces opposed to the Taliban could contribute to wider regional stability.
For Islamabad, however, any such engagement would come amid a delicate security environment involving border clashes, militant threats and its broader relationship with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities.
As tensions persist, calls for a coordinated approach underscore the continuing struggle to establish a durable security framework along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and prevent militant violence from spilling across the region.
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