ATLANTA – United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a press briefing on Saturday said Washington had “obviously heard” Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, adding that “if there’s a productive role for us to play, we’ll play it.”
“Pakistan is concerned about terrorist attacks that are being sponsored from the territory of Afghanistan,” Rubio said, addressing a briefing in Atlanta, Georgia. He added that Islamabad felt “as though the Taliban have not done enough to constrain those attacks and they’ve taken action against it.”
The secretary of state added, “We obviously have heard those concerns on their part, we obviously don’t want them to be targeted.”
He also noted that Washington didn’t “necessarily have the closest relationship with the Taliban,” but that “we’ve heard the concerns that Pakistan has raised and we’ve seen some of those attacks that they point to.”
Rubio concluded, “We’re against terrorism no matter where it emanates from and who it targets.”
His remarks came amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to recurring cross-border terrorism and security concerns. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban administration to prevent terrorist organisations, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), from using its territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Islamabad has rejected Taliban assurances that Afghan territory would not be used against neighbouring countries, arguing that the ground situation and documented militant activity tell a different story.
Pakistan maintains that the terrorist nexus extended beyond the movement of terrorists across the border to their training, arming and operational support.
Security officials estimate that up to 70% of the Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists infiltrating Pakistan were of Afghan origin. They further claim that the Taliban regime had allowed leftover US and NATO weapons to reach terrorist groups, including Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
The security establishment also linked the escalation in attacks to the presence of terrorist infrastructure inside Afghanistan.
In 2026 alone, terrorism emanating from Afghan soil claimed the lives of 1,327 Pakistanis and injured another 2,484, according to figures cited by Pakistani authorities.
Marco Rubio said US President Donald Trump hasn’t made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran amid stalled peace talks.
“We can achieve military objectives if we seek to. He hasn’t made a decision. I have no announcement in that regard with you today, and nor do we take any of it lightly,” Rubio said at a G20 press conference in Atlanta.
The top US diplomat added that Trump prefers a diplomatic solution but stresses he believes that “if we needed to do something military, we would have the ability to do it… but we would prefer to do it peacefully.”
Rubio also says: “What the Iranian regime is basically arguing is, ‘Unless we get what we want, not only will we blow up ships but we will destroy the energy infrastructure of our neighbours and the entire region.’ Just think about that because I think we just skip over that like it’s some normal behaviour.”
PAKISTAN RESPONDS TO UNPROVOKED FIRING FROM AFGHAN POSTS: DC
Pakistani security forces have responded to unprovoked firing from the Afghan border posts, the deputy commissioner of Lower South Waziristan district said on Sunday.
In a post on X, the DC’s official account said, “Unprovoked firing from Afghan border posts onto Pakistani border checkpoints continues.”
It added that Pakistani security forces responded immediately and effectively, targeting “multiple Afghan border posts, mortar positions, and defensive checkpoints”.
“The Afghan Taliban were forced to abandon their posts and flee in response to the Pakistani forces’ strong response,” the post read.
It further said no reports of any casualties have emerged from the border areas on the Pakistani side.
“Pakistani forces remain prepared to deliver a full response to any kind of aggression,” the deputy commissioner affirmed.
The military’s media affairs wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), is yet to comment on the development.
The fresh exchange of fire follows Friday’s skirmishes, when Pakistan’s armed forces responded to unprovoked firing from the other side, state media reported, citing security sources. As a result, several Afghan Taliban posts in areas adjacent to South Waziristan and Parachinar were destroyed.
The Afghan forces had also opened fire along the Angoor Adda border area on Tuesday, which claimed the life of one local and injured a family of five.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had condemned the firing, asserting that Pakistan would “never tolerate” attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty.
Pakistan had also dismissed a statement by Afghanistan’s defence ministry regarding the incident that claimed that Pakistan was the aggressor, terming it a “fabrication of lies”.
Amid the heightened tensions, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said that Washington has “heard” Pakistan’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and if “there’s a productive role for us to play, we would play it”.
Asked about the conflict between the neighbouring countries, Rubio said, “We’ve heard the concerns that Pakistan has raised and we’ve seen some of those attacks that they point to. We’re against terrorism no matter where it emanates from and who it targets.”
