Islamabad – Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban regime of failing to take concrete action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, warning that continued “hollow promises and inaction” are undermining regional security despite successive rounds of diplomacy.

In a detailed statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the third round of Pakistan–Afghanistan talks, held in Istanbul on November 6–7 under the joint mediation of Turkiye and Qatar, concluded without progress because the Taliban delegation “avoided taking any verifiable measures on ground.”

The ministry noted that since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in attacks linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and associated networks operating from Afghan territory. It said Pakistan exercised “maximum restraint,” despite suffering significant civilian and military casualties, in the hope that the Taliban would curb TTP activities.

“Instead of acting upon the core expectation from Pakistan, not to allow Afghan territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan, the Taliban regime has always tried to shy away from taking concrete and verifiable actions,” the statement read.

Pakistan said it had extended goodwill to Afghanistan through trade concessions, humanitarian assistance and visa facilitation, but argued that these gestures were met with “inaction and excuses.” Islamabad reiterated that its cross-border response in October 2025 was a demonstration of Pakistan’s determination to “leave no stone unturned to safeguard its territory and its people.”

The FO cautioned that “anyone harbouring, abetting or financing” the banned TTP,  which the state refers to as Fitna-al-Khawarij (FaK), or the Balochistan Liberation Army, termed Fitna-al-Hindustan (FaH), “cannot be considered a friend of Pakistan.”

Pakistan said it agreed to the Turkiye- and Qatar-mediated dialogue to “give peace and diplomacy every possible chance,” but alleged that the Taliban used the talks to prolong the ceasefire without committing to enforcement mechanisms. The statement said the Afghan delegation engaged in “futile arguments” and attempted to malign Pakistan with “hypothetical accusations and jingoistic rhetoric.”

Also see: Pakistan Flags Afghan-Linked Disinformation Campaign Amid Istanbul Talks

Harbouring of TTP Leaders in Afghanistan

The FO rejected Kabul’s attempt to frame the presence of TTP leaders and their families in Afghanistan as a humanitarian issue. It said many militants fled to Afghanistan during Pakistan’s Operation Zarb-i-Azb in 2015 and later allied with the Afghan Taliban against the former Afghan government and coalition forces. The ministry said the Taliban regime is now “harbouring these terrorists as a payback for their allegiance.”

Also see: Pakistan Rejects Taliban Claims on Migrants, Calls for Action Against TTP and BLA

Pakistan also dismissed claims that internal divisions exist in Islamabad over Afghan policy. “There is absolute clarity among the people of Pakistan that ordinary citizens are the biggest victims of terrorist activities by elements hiding in Afghanistan and their facilitators,” the FO stated.

The ministry further warned against attempts by some elements within the Taliban to stoke Pashtun nationalism in Pakistan, saying Pashtuns are a “vibrant and integral part of Pakistan’s political, social, and administrative fabric.” It said efforts to fuel ethnic sentiment are driven by “a strong lobby with monetary support from foreign actors” seeking to build internal legitimacy for the Taliban.

Hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated earlier in October after cross-border attacks and subsequent skirmishes. Pakistan says it is prepared to receive any Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan, including families of militants, provided they are transferred through formal crossings, not “hurled across the border equipped with sophisticated weapons.”

Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected Kabul’s claim that TTP fighters are simply displaced Pakistani refugees returning home. In a post on X, he questioned how returning civilians could be “armed with highly destructive weapons” and infiltrating Pakistan “through rugged mountain routes instead of open travel by road,” calling the claim “absurd” and evidence of “insincerity.”

Despite multiple rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul, no written agreement has been reached. The Afghan delegation reportedly insisted that only verbal understandings would apply, leaving negotiations without any enforcement framework.

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