Pakistan Summons Afghan Diplomat Over Deadly Bannu Attack

Pakistan has summoned a senior Afghan diplomat to the Foreign Office in Islamabad to register a formal protest over a militant attack in Bannu that resulted in casualties among security forces and civilians. The demarche signals a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations at a time when Pakistan has repeatedly demanded the Afghan Taliban government take decisive action against militant groups operating from Afghan soil.

The Bannu attack, which targeted a sensitive installation or security checkpoint in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district, is the latest in a series of cross-border strikes that Pakistani authorities have attributed to militant networks with operational presence in Afghanistan. Islamabad has consistently maintained that the Afghan interim government bears responsibility for preventing such groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.

Diplomats present at the summoning were handed a formal note of protest and warned that Pakistan reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and armed forces. The Foreign Office statement stopped short of announcing specific retaliatory steps but the diplomatic language used was characterised as unusually firm.

Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban administration have been under sustained strain, with Islamabad suspending major bilateral engagements and restricting cross-border trade at several points in recent months. The Bannu attack is expected to further delay any normalisation of ties and may prompt additional border security measures along the Durand Line.