Overview
- Senior EU and UK representatives publicly said that the Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) still receives support, weapons, money and safe haven inside Afghanistan and that Kabul’s authorities must act to remove those sanctuaries.
- The envoys affirmed that states have a legitimate right to defend themselves against clear, imminent terrorist threats but urged any military response be proportionate and designed to avoid civilian casualties.
- Their comments mark a visible rhetorical shift in European statements by explicitly validating Pakistan’s core complaints while the EU and UK continue to hold diplomatic channels with Taliban officials.
- The declaration draws on long‑running UN findings and high‑profile incidents — including the 2022 discovery of Ayman al‑Zawahiri in Kabul — that show senior militants have used Afghan territory to shelter and regroup.
- The stance raises pressure on the Taliban to take verifiable action against militant networks and could make Pakistan’s future countermeasures more diplomatically defensible while heightening risks for Afghan civilians if strikes occur.