Pakistan Seeks Written Guarantees, Rejects Mujahid’s Claim on ‘Cross-Border Security’

Islamabad/Kabul – Afghan Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that Pakistan “remained non-cooperative” during recent negotiations on cross-border security, asserting that Kabul is not responsible for ensuring security inside Pakistan. His remarks were published on Saturday by the Afghan Taliban’s Media and Information Center.

Mujahid said Pakistan had sought commitments from Afghanistan to prevent attacks inside its territory. “Pakistan demanded that we take responsibility for security inside Pakistan. That is not within Afghanistan’s capability, and we were not committed to any such security responsibility. Therefore the talks produced no result,” he stated.

Pakistan has rejected this characterization, maintaining that the core issue is cross-border militancy originating from Afghan soil. Officials say that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continues to operate from Afghanistan and that Islamabad has repeatedly presented documented evidence of attacks being planned from across the border.

Speaking to Geo News on November 7, a day before Mujahid’s remarks, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the Afghan delegation had been unwilling to formalize commitments in writing during talks. He stated that although the Afghan side verbally acknowledged Pakistan’s concerns over the TTP, it refused to issue written guarantees. Asif added that in international negotiations, “final agreements must be formally recorded,” arguing that without written assurance, no meaningful progress could be achieved.

Security analysts refer to multiple assessments, including United Nations monitoring reports and findings by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which indicate that TTP, BLA, and other militant networks have continued to operate inside Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. These findings directly contradict the Taliban’s claim that no foreign militant groups are based in Afghanistan.

Observers also note that key commitments made under the 2020 Doha Agreement remain unfulfilled, including assurances that 5,000 prisoners released under the deal would not return to militancy, many of whom later rejoined the Taliban’s offensive. Analysts further highlight that the current Taliban administration remains dominated by former commanders from Pashtun backgrounds, with no representation from non-Pashtun ethnic groups, raising concerns about earlier promises to form an inclusive government.

Pakistan maintains that it has pursued sustained diplomatic engagement since August 2021 to address cross-border security concerns. Official records show numerous joint coordination meetings, repeated border communication exchanges, and multiple formal diplomatic protests, which Islamabad says reflect consistent cooperation despite ongoing security challenges.

Islamabad reiterates that durable peace will require verifiable action against groups launching attacks from Afghan territory. Officials maintain that dialogue remains possible, but emphasize that “peace cannot rest on verbal assurances alone” while cross-border militancy persists.

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