Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says Pakistan has made major sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and urges Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to play a role in countering militant threats.

Islamabad: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that more than 20,000 terrorists are present in Afghanistan, including over 6,000 militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and called on the Taliban government to play an effective role in combating terrorism.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, Tarar said Pakistan had made the greatest sacrifices in the war against terrorism and had suffered economic losses exceeding $100 billion as a result of the conflict.

The minister said more than 6,000 TTP militants were taking refuge in Afghanistan. He added that Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Taliban regime to take action against terrorism and fulfil its responsibility in addressing security threats originating from Afghan territory.

Tarar stressed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of both Pakistan and the wider region. His remarks highlighted Pakistan’s stated concerns about militant groups operating from across the border and the importance of regional cooperation to counter terrorism.

The minister also referred to Pakistan’s long-standing role in hosting Afghan refugees, saying the country had been providing shelter to approximately 4 million Afghan refugees for four decades.

He said Pakistan’s contribution to the international fight against terrorism had come at a substantial human and economic cost. According to Tarar, Pakistan had not only fought terrorism on its own soil but had also helped make the wider world safer through its counterterrorism efforts.

His comments underscored Islamabad’s position that addressing militant activity requires cooperation from Afghanistan’s authorities and sustained efforts to prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory to threaten Pakistan.

The minister’s remarks come against the backdrop of continuing security concerns involving the banned TTP and the broader challenge of maintaining peace and stability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.