What happened
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad and delivered a strong demarche over the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 9 May 2026, The Nation reported.
According to the official statement, the attack killed 15 police constables and injured four other people, including a civilian.
The ministry said Pakistan conveyed its grave concern over the incident and told the Afghan side that a detailed investigation, supported by evidence and technical intelligence, indicated the attack was masterminded by terrorists operating from Afghan territory.
The demands and warnings
Pakistan reiterated its position that Afghan soil is being used for terrorist activities against it, and stressed that the continued presence of terrorist networks in Afghanistan has been documented in reports of the UN Monitoring Team and other international bodies, according to the statement.
It urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete, verifiable and effective action against groups operating from Afghan soil, naming Fitna-al-Khawarij, Fitna-al-Hindustan and ISKP/Daesh elements.
The statement added that Pakistan has repeatedly engaged the Afghan Taliban through multiple rounds of talks facilitated by friendly countries, but said Kabul has so far failed to deliver meaningful action against terrorist outfits.
Pakistan further warned that it reserves the right to respond decisively against those responsible, stressing that national security and the protection of its citizens would not be compromised if such attacks continued.
Why it matters
The demarche escalates a public diplomatic confrontation over cross-border militancy at a time when Pakistan says it has documented evidence that the Bannu bombing was directed from Afghanistan. It keeps the Bannu attack at the centre of Pakistan–Afghanistan relations and signals that Islamabad is prepared to act on its own if Kabul does not move against the groups it names.
What is still uncertain
The Foreign Office statement did not publish the underlying intelligence, name individual suspects, or set a deadline for Afghan action. The account of the demarche and the attack rest on The Nation’s report and the official statement it cites.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published material, not independent reporting. Source reviewed on 2026-05-11. The image is a contextual photograph and does not depict the 9 May 2026 attack.
- The Nation — "Pakistan summons Afghan envoy over Bannu attack"11 May 2026 · Reports the Foreign Office demarche, the casualty figures from the 9 May Bannu attack, and Islamabad's demands and warnings to Kabul.
