QWP pledges full support to armed forces

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Feb, 2026) Provincial chairman Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao has pledged full support to the armed forces in defending the sovereignty of the country amid rising tensions with Afghanistan.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the party here at Watan Kor on Friday, he said that Afghan government should take tangible steps to prevent cross-border terrorism bedeviling ties between the two countries.

“We stand united with our armed forces in defending the sovereignty of our country,” he said, adding that while safeguarding our national interests remained of paramount importance, lasting stability can be achieved through meaningful dialogue and diplomatic engagement.

“In the present circumstances, it is imperative for diffusing the situation that the interim Afghan government translate commitments into concrete, visible and verifiable measures against militant elements operating from its territory,” he said, adding that preventing cross border terrorism was a fundamental responsibility of the Afghan state.

Sikandar Sherpao recalled that Pakistan had repeatedly called for an end to cross-border movement and the bloodshed of our security personnel and innocent civilians.

“Safeguarding our territorial integrity is non-negotiable. We have consistently pursued dialogue and meaningful negotiations to ensure peace. We firmly stand with Pakistan’s principled position,” he added.

Urging the interim Afghan authorities to take practical measures to prevent militants from operating against Pakistan, he underlined the importance of using diplomatic channels to facilitate de-escalation and confidence-building.

He maintained that lasting stability can be brought about through sincere diplomatic engagement and by mutual respect, responsibility, adding that though the two countries had differences in the past, the situation never escalated to this extend.

“Efforts were always made in the past through diplomatic channels or political delegations to defuse tensions,” he recalled.

He believed that at a time of evolving security challenges, national cohesion and institutional support remained essential to defending national security.

Expressing concern over deteriorating relations and mounting tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he maintained that developments along the border and the prevailing security environment warranted prudence, unity, and strategic clarity.

Sikandar Sherpao said Pakistan has been bearing the brunt of terrorism for decades by paying an enormous human and economic cost. “Thousands of innocent civilians and security personnel have sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace and defense of the country,” he recalled.

He said that in recent years, Islamabad consistently conveyed its legitimate security concerns to Kabul as well as to the international community, emphasizing that the Afghan soil must be prevented from being used for activities hostile to Pakistan.