Islamabad — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, said on Saturday that Pakistan is ready to expand cooperation manifold if Afghanistan takes concrete and verifiable action against terrorists operating from its soil, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Speaking to the media, he underscored Islamabad’s commitment to diplomacy, while highlighting ongoing security challenges posed by cross-border terrorism.
During back-to-back press briefings on November 29, both Dar and the Director General of Inter‑Services Public Relations Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry presented a unified national position. They stressed that Pakistan has shown maximum restraint despite repeated provocations by Afghan‑origin terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
Officials revealed that even when Pakistan was fully prepared for a major kinetic operation under Operation Clean Swipe, it chose dialogue over force. The plan was halted at the urgent request of mediating countries, a decision Pakistan described as proof of its commitment to peace and its unwillingness to “invade a brotherly country,” despite having complete military capability to do so.
However, repeated mediation efforts by Qatar and Türkiye have failed to bring any meaningful behavioural change from the Taliban. According to officials, even mediators have grown frustrated with Kabul’s rigidity and persistent denial. The Taliban leadership, they say, continues to host, protect, and facilitate terrorist groups whose fighters and commanders, some armed with American weapons abandoned in Afghanistan, carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
Persistent infiltration, the existence of safe havens, and terror financing networks operating from Afghan soil expose the Taliban regime’s inability or unwillingness to meet basic counterterrorism responsibilities. Analysts note that deepening internal rifts between moderate and hardline Taliban factions have produced policy paralysis, further enabling militant outfits to operate with impunity.
Also see: Pakistan Was Set to Launch Kinetic Action Against Afghanistan: FM Ishaq Dar Reveals
Pakistan’s border security challenges are compounded by Kabul’s refusal to cooperate, despite clear evidence of Afghan nationals’ involvement in several recent attacks. While Islamabad continues to conduct thousands of intelligence-based operations inside its own territory, Afghan authorities have taken no substantive action to dismantle terrorist infrastructure across the border.
Officials stressed that Pakistan’s stance is strictly anti-terrorism, not anti-Afghan. Ordinary Afghans, they said, are viewed as Muslim brothers. Despite hostile behaviour from Kabul, Pakistan has maintained humanitarian engagement, including efforts to restore UN-requested aid for the Afghan population, reflecting Islamabad’s goodwill.
Still, Pakistan warns that its patience is wearing thin. If the Taliban leadership continues to ignore Pakistan’s concerns, allow cross-border attacks, and facilitate anti-Pakistan groups, Islamabad will be left with no choice but to take decisive measures. Officials maintain that the responsibility for any future escalation will rest squarely on the Taliban regime, whose failed policies and continued support for militant networks are destabilising the region.
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