ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday expressed optimism for a positive outcome in the upcoming round of talks with the Afghan Taliban, scheduled to begin on November 6, as both sides continue efforts to sustain a fragile ceasefire along their shared border.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Islamabad will continue to remain engaged in the mediation process and hopes that the next round of dialogue will help consolidate peace efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The renewed talks come following five tense days of negotiations in Istanbul mediated by Türkiye and Qatar which concluded Thursday after initially reaching a point of near-collapse earlier in the week. The first round had taken place in Doha on October 18–19, after a brief but intense border conflict that strained bilateral ties.
Pakistan participated in the Istanbul talks in good spirit and with positive intent, Andrabi said, adding that Islamabad had extended the negotiations from two to four days “in an earnest effort to reach an amicable understanding with the Taliban regime.
He reiterated that Pakistan’s participation in the peace process was guided by its clearly stated position that Afghan soil should not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
Andrabi cautioned, however, that while Islamabad did not seek further escalation, it expects the Afghan Taliban regime to honour its commitments and take concrete and verifiable actions against terrorist entities, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) referred to by Pakistan as Fitna-al-Khawarij and Balochistan-based groups labeled Fitna-al-Hindustan.
The spokesperson noted that Islamabad had, over the past four years, consistently urged Kabul to act decisively against such groups and had shared credible intelligence on their presence in Afghanistan. Despite repeated assurances, he said, “terror attacks emanating from Afghan soil have surged.
Referring to the recent border violence earlier this month, Andrabi said that Pakistan had responded decisively to unprovoked aggression by elements supported by the TTP, stressing that any future provocations would be met with firm resolve.
Andrabi underlined that Pakistan remains desirous of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, highlighting Islamabad’s continued diplomatic and economic engagement with Kabul since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
He noted that Pakistan had taken several initiatives to facilitate Afghan trade, upgraded diplomatic representation to ambassadorial level, and agreed to include Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has also made multiple visits to Kabul this year, including the signing of an agreement on the joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan Railway Project.
Andrabi expressed appreciation for the constructive role of Türkiye and Qatar in mediating between the two neighbours, saying their “sincere efforts helped avert a breakdown in the dialogue process.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to Geo News, confirmed that an interim ceasefire agreement had been reached through mediation by the two countries. He maintained that Pakistan’s core demand remains the elimination of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, warning that the truce would not hold until such activities cease.
Recent weeks have seen heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, triggered by cross-border attacks and counter-measures by Pakistan. However, diplomatic sources say the resumption of dialogue offers a window of opportunity for both sides to de-escalate and establish a joint monitoring mechanism to ensure lasting peace along the border.