Pakistan Cites UN Report of 6,000 TTP Fighters in Afghanistan, Says It Stays Open to Talks
Pakistan's information ministry cited a UN report on 12 October that estimates 6,000 TTP fighters in Afghanistan. What it said and what we could not verify.
Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on 12 October 2026 that a United Nations sanctions monitoring report estimates about 6,000 TTP fighters are present in Afghanistan, with reported Taliban support. The ministry used the figure to answer the Afghan Taliban's spokesperson, and it said Pakistan stays open to talks while it protects its citizens. The border is still closed to trade, and nothing in the statement changes that.
This is Pakistan's position, and it is one side of a dispute. The Taliban government denies that it lets groups attack Pakistan. Here is what the statement says, what we could and could not check, and what it means for the border.
What Pakistan's information ministry said on 12 October
The ministry said the Taliban government was "resorting to rhetoric and diversion instead of addressing the well-documented terrorist threat emanating from Afghan territory". It said attempts to shift attention to Pakistan's internal affairs cannot hide the failure to stop groups using Afghanistan to plan and launch attacks.
It then pointed to the Sixteenth Report of the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, document S/2025/796. The ministry says that report estimated about 6,000 TTP fighters were present in Afghanistan, with reported Taliban support. It added that the findings "cannot credibly be dismissed as Pakistani propaganda".
TTP stands for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a banned militant group that Pakistan says attacks it from across the border.
What Pakistan asked the Taliban government to do
The ministry made three demands. It wants the Taliban government to act on the threat instead of denying it, to honour its counterterrorism commitments, and to take "verifiable action against terrorist sanctuaries and support networks".
It also said Pakistan "remains open to dialogue". It added that Pakistan will take all necessary measures, in line with international law, to protect its citizens and defend its sovereignty and territory.
| Element | What the ministry said | What we could check |
|---|---|---|
| Source of the figure | UN monitoring team report S/2025/796 | The UN document would not load for us |
| Number | About 6,000 TTP fighters in Afghanistan | Pakistan's statement only |
| Taliban support | Reported support | Pakistan's statement only |
| Demand | Verifiable action against sanctuaries | Stated position |
| Talks | Pakistan remains open to dialogue | Stated position |
What Mr Dar said the same day
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke at a counterterrorism conference in Islamabad on 12 October. According to the Press Information Department, he called on the Afghan authorities to act against the TTP and other terrorist groups. He also said India supports anti-Pakistan militant groups, which is Pakistan's allegation, and he pointed to the National Action Plan and the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign as Pakistan's own efforts.
The message matches the ministry statement. Pakistan wants action it can verify from Kabul, and it says it will keep its own security measures in place while talks stay open.
What we could not verify
We read the ministry's statement as carried by state radio. We could not open the UN document, so the 6,000 figure and the wording on Taliban support are as the ministry gives them. We also did not find the Taliban spokesperson's statement that prompted the reply, so we cannot set out what the Taliban said.
The report number points to a document published in 2025, not this month. That means the figure is an estimate by UN monitors from last year's reporting period, and not a new count.
The Taliban government has rejected Pakistan's accusations in the past. We have not published its answer here because we did not read it for this piece.
What it means for the border, trade and refugees
Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan remains frozen. The Foreign Office spokesperson said so on 1 October. The cost to traders is set out in our report on the Pakistan Afghanistan border closed for one year.
Talks have not produced a deal. The latest regional round ended without a statement, as covered in why the Moscow talks had no joint statement. Pakistan has also carried out strikes inside Afghanistan, which the Taliban government disputes, as set out in the reports on Pakistan's air strikes on 1 October and Afghanistan's claim of civilian deaths.
For Afghan families in Pakistan, the returns programme is a separate process with its own numbers, covered in Afghan returns from Pakistan in 2026.
- Do not expect a trade reopening because of this statement.
- Watch for a Foreign Office notice on talks, which is where a change would be announced.
- Check any claim of a reopened crossing against the official customs or Foreign Office notice.
Why the wording matters
Three phrases in the statement are worth reading closely. "Reported Taliban support" is weaker than saying the Taliban government directs the group. "Verifiable action" means Pakistan wants proof it can check, not a promise. "Open to dialogue" keeps the door to talks open while it also reserves the right to act.
Together they show where the dispute stands. Pakistan says the threat is documented and wants action it can verify. The Taliban government disputes that account. Neither side has moved far enough for the border to reopen for trade, and a statement on its own does not change that.
Common questions
What did Pakistan say about the UN report?
The information ministry said the UN sanctions monitoring team's report S/2025/796 estimated about 6,000 TTP fighters in Afghanistan, with reported Taliban support.
Is the 6,000 figure new?
No. The report number shows it comes from a 2025 document. The ministry used it on 12 October 2026 in a reply to the Taliban spokesperson.
Did Pakistan close the door to talks?
No. The ministry said Pakistan remains open to dialogue, while it reserves the right to protect its citizens and territory under international law.
Has the Torkham border reopened for trade?
No change was announced. Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan is frozen, as the Foreign Office spokesperson said on 1 October.
What does the Taliban government say?
We did not read its latest statement for this report. It has denied the accusations in the past, so treat Pakistan's account as one side of the dispute.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read Pakistan's state radio report of the Information Ministry statement the Foreign Office's transcript of the 1 October briefing and the Press Information Department's release on Mr Dar's speech. The UN document S/2025/796 did not open for us, so the UN figure is attributed to Pakistan. We did not find the Taliban spokesperson's original statement.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
