Islamabad calls for concrete measures against TTP and BLA, accuses Afghan regime of empty promises
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly criticized the Afghan Taliban government for undermining peace negotiations in Istanbul, accusing the regime of deflecting from crucial terrorism concerns through baseless accusations and inflammatory rhetoric.
“Rather than working toward solutions for Pakistan’s primary security concerns, the Afghan authorities exploited the platform to spread unfounded allegations and engage in provocative posturing,” stated Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi.
The diplomatic talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan have collapsed, though a ceasefire between the neighboring nations remains in effect.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed on November 7 that negotiations had been halted indefinitely, with no plans for a fourth round of discussions. “We’ve reached a complete impasse. The talks have entered an open-ended stalemate,” he told Geo News.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, observers of the Turkish and Qatari-mediated negotiations could clearly see that the Taliban administration was merely attempting to extend the temporary ceasefire without implementing meaningful, verifiable measures against terrorist organizations operating from Afghan territory.
“They dragged out discussions and resorted to pointless debates to obstruct any substantive agreement,” the spokesperson stated.
Surge in Cross-Border Terrorism
The statement highlighted a dramatic increase in terrorist incidents originating from Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Despite suffering military and civilian losses, Pakistan has demonstrated considerable restraint by refraining from military retaliation.
“Pakistan anticipated that the Taliban government would neutralize TTP/FaK and BLA/FaH operatives and take decisive action against them,” the Foreign Office said.
Pakistan has attempted to support Afghan stability through trade benefits, humanitarian aid, educational and medical visa facilitation, and by encouraging international engagement with the Taliban regime for regional stability and economic progress.
However, according to the spokesperson, the Taliban’s response has consisted primarily of “empty commitments and inactivity.”
“Rather than fulfilling Pakistan’s fundamental requirement—preventing Afghan territory from being used to launch attacks against Pakistan—the Taliban government has consistently evaded taking concrete, verifiable steps,” the statement read.
“Instead, they’ve attempted to obscure the central issue by introducing unrelated and speculative matters. By clouding the terrorism question, they’re building a narrative that releases the Taliban from their obligations to both the international community and the Afghan people.”
Pakistan’s Military Response
Characterizing Pakistan’s October 2025 military operations as a response to continuous Afghan-based attacks, the Foreign Office reaffirmed that “TTP/FaK and BLA/FaH are designated enemies of Pakistan and its citizens.”
The spokesperson issued a clear warning: any entity providing sanctuary, support, or funding to these organizations would not be considered an ally of Pakistan.
Breakdown of Negotiation Rounds
Reflecting on the three negotiation sessions, the spokesperson emphasized Pakistan’s preference for peaceful diplomatic solutions. “Force has always been considered our final option.”
“Honoring the earnest counsel of Turkey and Qatar, and in the spirit of exhausting all peaceful avenues, Pakistan agreed to participate in mediated peace discussions,” the statement explained.
During the initial Doha talks, both sides reportedly agreed on fundamental principles of cooperation and accountability, leading to Pakistan’s acceptance of a temporary ceasefire.
The second Istanbul round was meant to create implementation frameworks for the Doha commitments, but Taliban negotiators avoided ground-level action and instead made provocative media statements.
“Pakistan maintained its insistence on concrete, verifiable action against terrorist elements and the creation of an effective oversight mechanism,” the statement noted.
In the third round, Pakistan again approached discussions constructively, focusing on establishing proper monitoring systems.
However, the Afghan delegation attempted to shift focus from terrorism by introducing speculative accusations and unsubstantiated claims.
Dispute Over Pakistani Nationals in Afghanistan
The statement firmly rejected Taliban attempts to characterize Pakistani terrorists in Afghanistan as a humanitarian or refugee matter, calling this a strategy to shield terrorists from accountability.
Pakistan declared its readiness to accept any Pakistani citizens residing in Afghanistan, provided they are transferred through official border crossings at Torkham or Chaman—not pushed across the frontier armed and equipped.
While reaffirming its commitment to dialogue, the Foreign Office emphasized that Afghan-based terrorism must be addressed as the top priority.
“Pakistan has never refused dialogue with any Kabul government. However, Pakistan will not negotiate with terrorist organizations, whether TTP/FaK or BLA/FaH,” the statement declared.
Internal Taliban Divisions
The spokesperson revealed that while some Taliban officials oppose confrontation with Pakistan, a powerful faction—allegedly supported by foreign interests—is deliberately escalating tensions to gain legitimacy and consolidate the Kabul administration.
“Seeking legitimacy and attempting to unify their divided government, certain Taliban elements, anti-Pakistan terrorist groups, and their supporters have found vilifying Pakistan quite advantageous,” the statement said.
These elements have engaged in hostile rhetoric and outrageous accusations against Pakistan, “rapidly destroying whatever goodwill they previously enjoyed within Pakistan.”
The statement also addressed Taliban claims of internal Pakistani disagreement over Afghan policy: “Regardless of this misleading propaganda, there is complete consensus among Pakistanis that ordinary citizens are the primary victims of terrorist activities by elements sheltering in Afghanistan and their enablers.”
Warning Against Ethnic Manipulation
Responding to efforts to exploit Pashtun nationalism in Pakistan, the Foreign Office emphasized that Pashtuns are an essential and dynamic component of Pakistani society, urging the Taliban to concentrate on inclusive governance in Afghanistan rather than stirring cross-border discord.
“While the Afghan Taliban claim terrorism is Pakistan’s domestic problem, they ignore the fact that individuals in Afghanistan have issued religious edicts legitimizing terrorist attacks against Pakistan,” the statement said, adding that terrorist groups operating in Pakistan now include substantial numbers of Afghan nationals.
Pakistan remains dedicated to resolving bilateral issues through dialogue, the spokesperson concluded. “However, Pakistan’s core concern—terrorism emanating from Afghanistan—must be addressed as the foremost priority.”
