Kabul/Islamabad – In a bid to de-escalate rising tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, high-level delegations from Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have convened in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday. Pakistan’s delegation is led by the Minister of Defence, Khawaja Asif, while the Taliban side is represented by Minister of Defence Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid and General Defence Intelligence Chief Mulla Abdul Haq Wasiq.

Doha meeting follows a temporary ceasefire between Pakistani and Afghan forces after last week’s intense cross-border clashes, described by regional monitors as the worst fighting in decades between the two neighbours. The truce, initially agreed for 48 hours, was extended to give diplomacy a chance amid quiet facilitation efforts by Qatar and regional partners.

Focus on Security and Border Stability

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, talks will center on immediate measures to halt cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and to restore peace and stability along the shared border. Islamabad emphasized that it does not seek escalation but “expects the Taliban authorities to honor commitments to the international community by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP/FAK) and Hafiz Gul Bahadur/Baluchistan Liberation Army (HGB/BLA) networks.”

Appreciating Qatar’s mediation efforts, Pakistani officials expressed hope that these discussions will “contribute to peace and stability in the region.”

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in a post on X ahead of the meeting, noted that Pakistan had “made strenuous and sincere efforts” to curb infiltration and foster cooperation since 2021, including multiple ministerial and security delegations to Kabul. He said Pakistan had lost nearly 4,000 civilians and security personnel in over 10,000 incidents of terrorism since the Taliban’s return to power, a toll Islamabad blames on militants operating from Afghan territory.

Disputed Strikes and Allegations

Earlier, Taliban regime’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned Pakistan’s precision strikes in Paktika, claiming they resulted in civilian casualties and violated Afghan sovereignty. Mujahid accused Islamabad of “prolonging the conflict” and called the strikes provocative.

Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ataullah Tarar, swiftly rebutted those claims, stating that the strikes targeted verified Kharji Gul Bahadur Group militant camps along North and South Waziristan border regions. 

According to Tarar, during a 48-hour ceasefire, Kharji operatives attempted multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, which were effectively neutralized by security forces. The precision strikes reportedly eliminated 60–70 militants, including key leadership figures, based on confirmed intelligence.

Tarar underscored that all allegations of civilian targeting are false and intended to generate support for terrorists operating from Afghan soil. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to resolving the issue of cross-border terrorism through dialogue while asserting the country’s right to safeguard its territorial integrity and citizens’ lives.

Taliban’s Information Front

Observers note that the Taliban’s civilian-casualty narrative appears aimed at influencing public opinion ahead of the Doha talks, echoing a strategy the group used extensively during its war with the United States.

Analysts say the “victimhood narrative”, portraying defensive or retaliatory actions as aggression, is a continuation of the Taliban’s earlier media strategy against the US forces, designed to garner sympathy, deflect accountability, and control domestic perception.

They point out that this pattern of narrative warfare is now being repurposed against Pakistan to shape international discourse, even as Islamabad presents operational data, casualty lists, and coordinates as evidence of targeted counterterrorism actions.

While the Taliban seeks to cast Pakistan’s defensive operations as aggression, Islamabad maintains that dialogue and verifiable action against militant networks are the only sustainable path toward lasting regional peace.

In a pointed message ahead of the Doha talks, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said there would be “no more demarches or appeals” to Kabul if cross-border terrorism continued unchecked. He argued that Pakistan had exhausted diplomatic channels and that future engagement would depend on “verifiable action” from the Taliban to dismantle anti-Pakistan militant networks.

Diplomatic observers add that Qatar’s quiet facilitation, alongside encouragement from regional partners, helped bring both delegations to the table. The United States has also expressed willingness to support any future mechanism aimed at reducing border tensions, though no formal mediation framework has yet been announced.