U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has recognized Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan, underscoring that the United States does not want Islamabad to become a target of terrorism. His comments were made Saturday in Atlanta at the conclusion of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.

Rubio acknowledged Pakistan’s view that the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have not taken adequate measures to prevent attacks launched from Afghan territory. “Pakistan is concerned about terrorist attacks that are being sponsored from the territory of Afghanistan. They feel that the Taliban is not doing enough to constrain those attacks, and they’ve taken action against it,” Rubio said, adding that Washington is attentive to these concerns and opposes attacks against Pakistan.

The remarks coincided with renewed criticism from Pakistan toward the Afghan Taliban over the presence of militant sanctuaries across the shared border. In a statement issued Saturday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected comments from Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, accusing the Afghan leadership of deflecting responsibility onto Islamabad instead of addressing the militant activity emanating from Afghanistan.

“Pakistan’s position is unequivocal: terrorism is a red line, and the security of its citizens is non-negotiable,” the ministry said. It warned that Pakistan would not tolerate militant groups using Afghan territory to threaten its national security and affirmed its commitment to protecting its population by all means permitted under international law. The statement emphasized Pakistan’s determination not to be perceived as weak and assigned responsibility to the Afghan Taliban for preventing cross-border attacks.

The exchange comes amid ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over security challenges posed by armed groups operating in the region. Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban to take stronger action against such groups, citing numerous attacks launched from Afghan soil into Pakistani territory.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has urged Pakistan to refrain from blaming Kabul and called for cooperation to address mutual security concerns. The disagreement highlights the complex regional dynamics affecting stability along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.