Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that Kabul will be bound to take action against militants operating from Afghan territory after both sides agreed to form a joint monitoring and verification mechanism with third-party participation.
His remarks came after Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement saying that Islamabad and Kabul agreed to maintain the ceasefire, as well as decided to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace and penalise any violator.
The understanding was reached during the recent talks, held in Istanbul from October 25 to 30 under the mediation of Turkiye and Qatar, concluded with both countries pledging continued cooperation for lasting peace and stability in the region.
Speaking on Geo News’ programme “Naya Pakistan”, Tarar praised Turkiye and Qatar for mediating the dialogue and reaffirmed that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership are “on the same page” with full unity of thought and action.
He reiterated that Pakistan stands firm on its principled demands, including ending terrorism, preventing cross-border attacks, and respecting border sanctity, adding that Afghan territory must not be used for assaults against Pakistan.
Tarar lambasted the “propaganda warfare” waged by the Afghan Taliban regime, describing it as a fractured administration that “does not control the entire Afghanistan” and therefore cannot accuse Pakistan of creating instability.
The minister said that the onus will be on Kabul to act against Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan operating from its territory.
Regarding the joint framework, he said that finer operational details will be settled during the next round of discussions between senior officials from both sides in Istanbul on November 6.
“This arrangement removes any justification for the Taliban administration to avoid acting against militants,” he emphasised, adding that they would receive punishment if they fail to act.
He added that the new framework would give Islamabad an additional platform to present evidence and intelligence regarding violations, strengthening Pakistan’s diplomatic and security position.
To a question regarding Afghanistan’s claim that Pakistan declined Kabul’s offer to hand over terror suspects, Tarar questioned why the Taliban regime was twisting facts and complicating the situation following the talks.
He clarified that Islamabad has previously demanded that Kabul must control or arrest any terrorists posing a threat to Pakistan. He added that Islamabad immediately proposed that they be handed over through designated border crossings, in line with its long-standing position.
Islamabad-Kabul tensions
Pakistan has been grappling with rising terror incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regime took power in 2021.
The government in Islamabad 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.
The 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.
The 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 and continued till October 31.
The two sides would meet again in the next round scheduled for November 6.
