Assalamu Alaikum - Pakistan holds Taliban accountable for cross-border attacks as Türkiye talks stall
Assalamu Alaikum. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan says it holds the Taliban administration in Kabul responsible for stopping militant attacks launched from Afghan soil, after Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told a private news channel that talks in Türkiye had broken down. He said the ceasefire would remain as long as no attacks came from Afghanistan.
Pakistan and Afghanistan had resumed talks in Istanbul following deadly border clashes last month that killed dozens on both sides. Qatar and Türkiye helped mediate a ceasefire, after Pakistan accused militants sheltered across the border of attacking civilians and security personnel. Afghanistan has previously denied those charges and described Pakistan’s security concerns as an internal matter.
During an earlier round in Istanbul, both sides agreed to extend the ceasefire with a monitoring and verification plan supported by the mediators. Yet officials confirmed another skirmish near Chaman in southwestern Balochistan on Friday, with Afghan health workers reporting five dead and both sides blaming each other.
“There is a complete deadlock,” the defense minister told Geo News, adding there were no plans for another round of talks with the Afghan authorities. “Our only demand is that Afghanistan must ensure its soil is not used for attacks on Pakistan. If there is any attack from Afghan soil, we will respond accordingly.” He said the ceasefire would hold only if there was no aggression from Afghanistan.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan remains firm in its view that responsibility for stopping terrorism originating from Afghan soil lies with Afghanistan. He said the Afghan Taliban have so far not met their commitments under the 2021 Doha Agreement. Tarar added Pakistan wishes well for the Afghan people and wants peace for them, but that the Taliban government’s actions are not in the interest of Afghans or neighbouring countries. “Pakistan will continue all necessary measures to protect its people and sovereignty,” he said.
Pakistan told mediators from Qatar and Türkiye in Istanbul that it had presented “evidence-based” demands asking Kabul to take tangible steps against groups carrying out cross-border attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan handed over documented, justified demands aimed at ending cross-border terrorism, and that the mediators had accepted Pakistan’s position based on the evidence and international law. He said the mediators were discussing each of Pakistan’s points with the Taliban delegation.
Officials said that during earlier talks Afghanistan had privately acknowledged the presence of anti-Pakistan militants on its territory, contrary to its public statements. Pakistan says it asked that militants who pose a threat be controlled, arrested, or handed over through designated border posts when they are Pakistani nationals - a proposal Pakistani officials say was rejected by the Afghan side.
State media also reported that National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, who led Pakistan’s delegation, left the talks after they ended without agreement, and that the Pakistani team was returning home.
May Allah grant peace and stability to the region and protect innocent lives. JazakAllah khair.
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