Islamabad: Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said at Friday’s weekly briefing that Islamabad remained willing to engage with Kabul and would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries to address Pakistan’s security concerns.
Pakistan has ruled out unconditional talks with Afghanistan, saying dialogue must produce a verifiable mechanism to stop terrorist attacks originating from Afghan territory.
“Pakistan is not shying away from discussions or dialogue, including with representatives of Afghanistan,” he said.
His remarks followed Russia’s renewed willingness to facilitate a settlement if both sides requested its involvement. However, Khan said no separate, formal Russian mediation initiative was currently under discussion.
The spokesperson linked the absence of a joint communiqué after the October 5 Moscow Format consultations to disagreements over references to terrorist networks in Afghanistan. He said the Afghan delegation had rejected language accepted in the previous year’s document.
Pakistan has demanded action against Fitna al Khawarij, formerly known as Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan, and other groups it says use Afghan territory to launch attacks. Taliban authorities reject allegations that their territory serves as a base for attacks against Pakistan.
Khan said Islamabad’s central demand was a verifiable arrangement ensuring the complete cessation of such activity.
Previous diplomatic efforts have failed to resolve the dispute. Qatar and Türkiye helped broker a ceasefire in October 2025, while Saudi Arabia hosted discussions and China facilitated talks in Urumqi in April.
Separately, the Foreign Office condemned Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s threat of a larger strike following any future terrorist attack.
Khan said such statements threatened regional stability and warned that further aggression against Pakistan would receive an even stronger response than during the May 2025 confrontation.
He urged New Delhi to learn from that confrontation, abandon threatening rhetoric and act responsibly to preserve peace in South Asia.
