Rubio Backs Pakistan's Stance on Afghanistan-Linked Terrorism, Stops Short of New Action

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly endorsed Pakistan's long-standing concern that terrorist attacks on its soil are being launched from Afghan territory, saying Washington does not want Pakistan to be a target of terrorism. His remarks, made at a press availability in Atlanta following the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, mark one of the clearest US acknowledgments of Islamabad's position to date.

Rubio said Pakistan has voiced frustration that the Taliban government has not done enough to restrain such attacks and has taken action in response. "We obviously have heard those concerns on their part. We obviously don't want them to be targeted for terrorism," he said, adding that the US would step in if it could play a "productive role" but acknowledging that Washington does not have the closest relationship with the Taliban.

The comments carry weight because they come from the top US diplomat on a global stage and align closely with the case Pakistan has made for more than a year: that banned groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are using Afghan soil to stage attacks inside the country. Rubio also said the US had seen some of the attacks Pakistan points to and that Washington opposes terrorism regardless of its origin or target.

However, Rubio stopped short of announcing any new US steps, offering help only if Washington could be useful and openly noting its limited ties with the Taliban government. Analysts read the remarks as political support for Pakistan's position rather than a commitment to act, coming less than a week after Rubio said the US wants greater influence over Pakistan.

Several countries have already tried to calm tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Qatar and Turkiye brokered a ceasefire in Doha last October, but follow-up talks in Istanbul collapsed the following month. Saudi Arabia hosted discussions, and China held talks between the two sides in Urumqi in April. None of these efforts resolved the core dispute over terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, Pakistan paused its Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against Afghanistan, but cross-border strikes have continued. After an attack in Kohat on September 18, Pakistan struck Afghan territory on September 24 and again on October 1, underscoring the fragility of the situation despite repeated diplomatic efforts.