Pakistan’s newly created joint military command was formally launched on Monday with a pointed warning to Afghanistan, as Chief of Defence Forces General Asim Munir told the Taliban administration in Kabul it must choose between relations with Islamabad and support for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Munir delivered the message at Defence Forces Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where he reviewed a guard of honour from the army, navy and air force to mark the inauguration of Pakistan’s unified tri-services command. The new structure is intended to bring land, air, maritime, cyber and information operations under a single leadership in response to a deteriorating regional security environment.
According to a military read-out, Munir said a “clear message” had been conveyed to Kabul: it must decide between ties with Pakistan and what he termed “Fitna al-Khawarij”, the phrase Pakistani authorities use for the TTP. The group, founded in 2007, operates along the Afghan–Pakistani border and is designated a terrorist organisation by both Islamabad and the United Nations.
The statement reflects growing frustration in Islamabad over what officials say is the continued presence of TTP leadership and fighters on Afghan soil. Pakistan has blamed the movement for a sharp rise in attacks against security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since the Afghan Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021. Independent monitoring shows the group involved in hundreds of incidents over the past two years, while the Global Terrorism Index has described the TTP as one of the fastest-growing militant organisations worldwide.
There was no immediate reaction from the Taliban government. Kabul has consistently denied allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks in Pakistan, while also rejecting earlier accusations that recent bombings in the Afghan capital were launched from across the border.
The latest remarks come against the backdrop of the most serious fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces since 2021. In October, cross-border shelling and small-arms clashes along several frontier points, including the Chaman–Spin Boldak sector, left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead and wounded on both sides. A ceasefire brokered by Qatar later in the month has largely held, but attempts in Turkey and, most recently, Saudi Arabia to convert the truce into a broader security understanding have yet to produce a comprehensive agreement.
Islamabad has demanded that the Taliban move against TTP bases and provide verifiable assurances that Afghan territory will not be used for planning or staging attacks. Taliban negotiators have argued that they cannot police Pakistan’s internal security and have urged Islamabad to revive political talks with the TTP, which collapsed in 2022.
Munir’s intervention also highlights the wider regional context in which Pakistan’s new command structure is being rolled out. The general’s standing was strengthened earlier this year during a four-day confrontation with India, triggered by an attack that killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir and led to missile and air strikes on targets in both countries. The episode ended following intensive US diplomacy and an announcement by President Donald Trump that New Delhi and Islamabad had accepted a “full and immediate” ceasefire.
In Rawalpindi, Munir described Pakistan’s operations during the May clashes as a “textbook example” of future warfare and presented awards to navy and air force personnel for their roles in the fighting. He warned that India “must remain under no illusion” that any subsequent confrontation would draw an even faster and more forceful response, while reiterating that Pakistan seeks peace but will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Munir was appointed army chief in November 2022 and was promoted to field marshal after the conflict with India. Earlier this month he became Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces under a restructured chain of command that consolidates authority over all three services. Supporters argue that the reform will improve joint planning and crisis management at a time when the country faces simultaneous security challenges on its eastern and western borders, alongside internal militancy.
The Pakistan–Afghanistan relationship, meanwhile, has become increasingly transactional. Cross-border trade has been repeatedly disrupted by closures at the Torkham and Chaman crossings, while both sides accuse each other of failing to honour security commitments. Analysts say Munir’s latest comments signal that Islamabad is prepared to link political engagement, border management and economic ties to Kabul’s handling of the TTP issue.
For now, the ceasefire along the frontier remains fragile, and there is little sign that either Pakistan or the Taliban authorities are willing to make significant concessions. Munir’s warning that Kabul must choose between Islamabad and the Pakistani Taliban sets a stark framework for talks that are likely to continue into 2026, with implications for regional stability, counter-terrorism efforts and the wider security posture of South Asia’s two nuclear-armed states.
