ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday acknowledged that there has been no major terrorist attack originating from the Afghan soil since the Doha ceasefire agreement, terming the development a “positive outcome” as talks between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban regime move to Istanbul for the next round.
The newly appointed Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, while addressing his first weekly media briefing, said the truce reached in Doha earlier this week had, “by and large held”.
“There has been no major full-scale terrorist attack emanating from Afghan soil in Pakistan in the last two-three days,” Andrabi noted. “So, in effect, the Doha talks and their outcome were fruitful. We would like the trend to continue in Istanbul and beyond.”
The spokesperson said Pakistan’s key expectation from the Afghan side remains unchanged that Afghan soil should not be used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
Andrabi reiterated that Islamabad approached the process with “sincerity of purpose and intent”, emphasising that the objective of the talks was to establish a “verifiable and empirical mechanism” to ensure the Taliban regime in Kabul takes concrete action against terrorist groups targeting Pakistan.
He confirmed that the Doha agreement had resulted from delegation-level talks led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, focusing on ending cross-border terrorism and restoring peace along the frontier. The next meeting, hosted by Türkiye in Istanbul on October 25, will seek to finalise the proposed monitoring framework.
Responding to questions about recent statements from Afghan officials disputing the existence of a formal agreement, Andrabi said Pakistan did not attach importance to the terminology.
“We do not read too much into the nomenclature ascribed by the Taliban – whether it is an agreement, a truce, or a treaty. The fact is that a substantive document was finalised, which is commendable,” he said.
He added that Pakistan continues to take Afghan threats and cross-border attacks seriously, stressing that Islamabad’s security and the lives of its citizens take precedence over trade facilitation.
“At the border points linked with Afghan transit trade, armed attacks were carried out against Pakistan, killing Pakistanis,” Andrabi said. “For us, the lives of Pakistanis are more important than any commodity traded.”
While he did not confirm who would lead Pakistan’s delegation at the Istanbul talks, Andrabi said “a representative Pakistani delegation” would participate in the meeting.
The spokesperson also responded to questions about the Taliban’s plan to build a dam on the Kunar River, saying Pakistan was examining the matter.
“Trans-boundary rivers are governed by international law,” he said. “In such matters, Pakistan is both an upper and lower riparian, and we will follow this matter accordingly.”
Reaffirming Islamabad’s approach towards Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan still seeks peace and stability in Afghanistan.
“Our message to the Taliban regime in Kabul is clear – stop these attacks, control and apprehend the terrorists of the TTP and other armed groups, and our relations could be back on track. We are not asking for the moon; we are asking them to uphold their own commitments,” he said.
