Terror groups: Afghan regime tried to shy away from taking firm actions: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday issued a detailed statement on the inconclusive third round of talks with the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul, saying that the Afghan regime “tried to shy away from taking concrete and verifiable actions” against terrorists targeting Pakistan.

In an official statement, the Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi said that instead of finding solutions to address Pakistan’s core concern, the Afghan regime used the opportunity to malign Pakistan through “hypothetical accusations and jingoistic rhetoric.”

The Third Round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks, mediated by the brotherly states of Turkiye and Qatar, concluded at Istanbul on November 7.

Taliban govt says ceasefire to hold, despite talks failing

According to the statement, Pakistan’s expectation was that with passage of time, the Taliban regime would be able to control attacks emanating from Afghanistan and take concrete actions against the TTP/ Fitna al Khawarij (FaK) elements present on Afghan soil.

The spokesperson said that despite all the positive gestures by Pakistan in terms of trade, humanitarian assistance, educational and medical visas’ facilitation, the response from the Taliban regime has only been “hollow promises and inaction.”

“The Taliban regime has tried to confuse the main issue with other relatively irrelevant and hypothetical issues. By confusing the main issue of terrorism, it keeps trying to develop a narrative which absolves the Taliban regime of its commitments and responsibilities toward the international community and its own people,” the statement said.

Pakistan’s October 2025 response to the consistent attacks emanating from Afghanistan was a manifestation of the will and determination that Pakistan will not leave any stone unturned to safeguard its territory and its people.

TTP, FaK, Balochistan Liberation Army, and other groups are “declared enemies of the State of Pakistan and its people.” Anyone harbouring, abetting or financing them is not considered a friend and well-wisher of Pakistan and its people.” The statement said, “Pakistan is determined to take every possible action to safeguard its interests and its people.”

According to the statement, at the first round of these talks in Doha, an understanding was reached with Afghanistan on certain principles of cooperation and responsibility and Pakistan agreed to the temporary ceasefire.

The second round at Istanbul was meant to devise an implementation mechanism for the measures agreed to by both the sides in the first round at Doha. However, the Taliban regime representatives avoided taking any measures on ground and tried to back out of the commitments they had undertaken at the first round. They also tried to vitiate the environment through accusatory and provocative media allegations and statements, the statement said.

The Foreign Office said that the Pakistan side stayed firm on its core demand of concrete and verifiable actions against the terrorist elements present in Afghanistan and establishment of an effective monitoring mechanism to curb their activities.

The spokesperson said that it seemed that the Taliban regime was only interested in prolonging the temporary ceasefire, but without taking concrete and verifiable actions against the TTP/ FaK and BLA/ FaH elements present on Afghan soil. The Afghan regime used the opportunity to malign Pakistan through “hypothetical accusations and jingoistic rhetoric.”

The Afghan Taliban is constantly trying to misrepresent the issue of Pakistani terrorists hiding in Afghanistan as a humanitarian issue. He said that Pakistan has demanded the Taliban regime to hand over all terrorists to Pakistan. “The Taliban regime has repeatedly refused to do so, citing lack of control. More than being a matter of capability, it has become a matter of intent of the Taliban. Empty hopes and hollow promises rendered by the Taliban regime so far have already outlived their efficacy. Definite and concrete actions have to be taken to safeguard the interests and lives of the people of Pakistan,” said the statement.

The spokesman criticized that the Taliban regime is also trying to portray the TTP/FaK and BLA/FaH elements as refugees in Afghanistan. “This is not a humanitarian or a refugee issue, but a ploy to frame terrorists as refugees,” he said.

He said that Pakistan is ready to receive any Pakistani living in Afghanistan and their families, provided they are handed over at the border crossings of Torkham or Chaman and not hurled across the border, fully equipped with sophisticated weapons and equipment.

The spokesman said that there is a “strong lobby” within the Taliban, with monetary support from foreign actors, which has been tasked to “stoke tensions” with Pakistan. In search of legitimacy and to unite their fractious Government, certain elements within the Taliban regime, anti-Pakistan terrorist elements and their abettors have found raising the bogey of Pakistan quite useful.

Pakistan is also fully cognizant and capable of dealing with all its internal problems. As part of its efforts to address all its challenges, Pakistan has repeatedly asked the Taliban regime to desist from their well-documented support to the terrorists attacking Pakistan, the spokesperson said.

With evidence-based and well-documented sharp rise in terrorism emanating from Afghanistan into Pakistan after August 2021, the Taliban regime can neither out-rightly deny this reality nor absolve itself of its responsibility.

He said that there is an attempt by elements in the Taliban regime to instigate Pashtoon nationalism in Pakistan. He said that instead of instigating the Pashtoon card in Pakistan, it would be wise for the Taliban to look into its own credentials of inclusivity of all segments of its population in its governance structures.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan remains committed to resolution of bilateral differences through dialogue. However, Pakistan’s core concern; i.e. terrorism emanating from Afghanistan needs to be addressed first and foremost. Pakistan’s Armed Forces and its people are well determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from its soil and take action against its supporters, abettors and financiers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025