ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan-Afghanistan relations cannot return to normal unless Afghanistan stops backing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In an interview with Geo News on Friday, he said that those harbouring TTP militants in Afghanistan should ensure they do not carry out attacks across the border into Pakistan.
“Peaceful relations with our neighbour are only possible if all support for the TTP is completely ended,” he said, adding that it is difficult to trust the Afghan side without firm guarantees against cross-border attacks.
He said that the infiltration from Afghanistan is still going on in some form, adding that as long as the same situation continues, the agreement cannot take effect,” Asif said.
“Pakistan’s biggest demand is that infiltration into Pakistan from Afghan soil should stop,” he added.
The defence minister said that he would not blame the entire Afghan government, but many within its ranks are providing support to these groups.
He said that the Afghan regime is still violating the ceasefire agreement, to which Pakistan is responding in a befitting manner.
Asif also confirmed that an interim ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan was reached last night (Thursday) under the mediation of Qatar and Turkiye.
He said that the next round of talks is scheduled for November 6 in Istanbul, where he said the modalities of the agreement will be finalised. He added that monitoring and verification mechanisms have been agreed upon to ensure full compliance, particularly by the Afghan side.
Following six days of talks, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime agreed to uphold the ceasefire, Turkiye’s foreign ministry said late Thursday.
“Further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided in a principal level meeting in Istanbul on 6 November 2025,” read a joint statement on the talks through the mediation of Turkiye and Qatar.
It further said that the meetings were held in Istanbul from October 25-30 aimed at solidifying the ceasefire which was agreed by Afghanistan and Pakistan in Doha on October 18-19.
“All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party,” it added.
Pakistan doesn’t want tensions with Afghanistan: FO
Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that Islamabad does not want further tensions with Afghanistan, expressing hope that the Taliban government will not allow its territory to be used against Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan participated in the talks in a constructive and positive manner. “Pakistan made it clear that Afghanistan must prevent the use of its territory against Pakistan,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson said Pakistan has repeatedly provided evidence of the activities of “Fitna al-Khawarij” and “Fitna al-Hindustan” on Afghan soil.
Commenting on tensions on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the spokesperson said Pakistan gave a strong response to aggression from the Afghan side.
“Pakistan will defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty under all circumstances,” the spokesperson said.
Any future aggression will also be responded to strongly, the spokesperson added.
Islamabad-Kabul tensions
Pakistan has been grappling with rising terror incidents, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regime took power in 2021.
The government has repeatedly urged the Taliban regime to rein in terrorist groups responsible for countless attacks in Pakistan.
However, the Taliban regime largely remained indifferent to Pakistan’s demands and provided refuge to multiple terrorist groups targeting security forces and civilians.
Instead of addressing Pakistan’s concerns about cross-border terrorism, the Taliban regime resorted to unprovoked firing along the border on October 12.
Pakistan Armed Forces retaliated swiftly, killing over 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants; however, as many as 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred during the border clashes.
Security forces also conducted strikes inside Afghanistan, including in Kabul, destroying terrorists’ hideouts in the country.
Hostilities between forces of the two nations ceased after Pakistan accepted the Taliban regime’s request for a temporary ceasefire on October 17.
Delegations from the two countries later met for talks mediated by Qatar in Doha, where they agreed on a ceasefire agreement.
Turkiye then hosted the second round of talks in Istanbul, which began on October 25.
