Pakistan has formally protested to Afghanistan over an alleged violation of its airspace on September 23, with the Afghan ambassador summoned to the Foreign Office and handed a diplomatic demarche. The development comes amid continuing security tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Afghan Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib was summoned and informed of Islamabad’s concerns over the reported entry of Afghan drones into Pakistani airspace.
Pakistan also conveyed concerns regarding terrorist attacks and border-related incidents, calling for effective measures to prevent activities against Pakistan from Afghan territory.
Eight drones reported over Pakistani territory
According to security sources cited in the report, eight drones entered Pakistani airspace on September 23.
Pakistan’s air defence system detected and engaged the drones, with officials saying all eight were shot down before they could reach their reported targets. Four drones were reportedly brought down in areas near the Torkham border, while another four were intercepted in mountainous areas near Kohat.
Security sources said the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force responded to the reported incursions and prevented an attempt to target public places.
The reported incidents have added another layer to already sensitive security relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly over cross-border militant activity and incidents along the frontier.
Islamabad raises security concerns
Pakistan’s latest diplomatic action reflects its broader concerns about activities that Islamabad says are originating from or being facilitated through Afghan territory.
The Foreign Office has previously used diplomatic demarches to convey concerns to Afghan authorities over security incidents. Pakistan has also raised Afghanistan-related security issues in international and regional forums. On September 23, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar addressed an OIC Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The latest protest specifically focused on the reported airspace violation and the alleged use of drones. Islamabad’s position, as reported by the Foreign Office, is that Afghan authorities should take effective steps to prevent activities against Pakistan from Afghan territory.
Border tensions remain a concern
The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has remained a sensitive security area, with both countries facing challenges linked to militant activity, border incidents and cross-border accusations.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about attacks that it says are planned or supported from Afghan territory. Islamabad has called on Afghan authorities to prevent such activities and take action against groups it says are involved in attacks inside Pakistan.
The latest drone incident comes against this wider backdrop of strained security relations.
At the same time, diplomatic channels remain active. Pakistan maintains an embassy in Kabul headed by Ambassador Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, while officials from both countries continue to engage through diplomatic and security channels.
Diplomatic protest follows military response
The decision to summon the Afghan ambassador came after Pakistan’s reported military response to the drone incursions.
A demarche is a formal diplomatic communication used by a government to convey its position or protest to another government. In this case, Pakistan used the channel to formally communicate its concerns to the Afghan side.
The development shows that the issue is being addressed through both security and diplomatic mechanisms.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has not, in the cited report, indicated what further diplomatic measures may follow if similar incidents occur.
Regional security implications
The reported drone incursions could further complicate security relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long border and have significant security, trade and movement links. Any cross-border security incident can therefore have implications beyond the immediate area where it occurs.
For Pakistan, preventing attacks and unauthorized incursions remains a major security concern. For Afghanistan, developments along the border remain closely connected to its relationship with Islamabad and broader regional security dynamics.
The situation will likely remain under close observation as both sides manage their diplomatic and security concerns.
For now, Pakistan’s position is clear: it has formally protested the reported September 23 airspace violation, summoned the Afghan ambassador and called for measures to prevent activities against Pakistan from Afghan territory.
