KABUL – A senior Afghan Taliban commander has issued a stark warning to militant groups operating in Pakistan, declaring that carrying out attacks across the border without official sanction is neither jihad nor justifiable under Islamic law.
Saeedullah Saeed, a high-ranking official in the Taliban’s security apparatus, delivered the message during a police graduation ceremony in Afghanistan. Speaking with pointed clarity, Saeed asserted that waging jihad in any country, including Pakistan, without the direct order of the Taliban’s supreme leader—the Amir—is a violation of Shariah.
“True jihad cannot be declared by self-styled fighters or splinter groups,” he said. “Only the Amir has the legitimate authority to command such action. Anything else is not jihad—it’s fasad, or corruption.”
He condemned those who act independently or roam between countries to conduct attacks, arguing that such actions are not only illegitimate but also fueled by personal egos or factional loyalties rather than religious obligation. “This is disobedience—not resistance,” he added.
Saeed also reminded the gathering that the Islamic Emirate has expressly banned unauthorized movement into Pakistan. He stressed that any militant activity conducted without government oversight defies both religious law and the political mandate of the Taliban-led Afghan state.
Security analysts in Islamabad welcomed the statement, viewing it as a rare and pointed rebuke of cross-border militancy. Defense observers said the remarks could bolster Pakistan’s counterterrorism position, especially as it confronts militant factions—often labeled as Khawarij—that claim to act under the guise of holy war but are seen by authorities as destabilizing agents, some allegedly backed by foreign adversaries.
The statement marks a significant moment of doctrinal clarity from Kabul, one that may reshape regional security dynamics and recalibrate the legitimacy claimed by rogue factions across the border.
