Pakistan Says Ties With Kabul Depend on Action Against TTP

DID Press: Pakistan has said meaningful progress in relations with Afghanistan will depend on the Taliban taking “concrete and verifiable” action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups Islamabad says are operating from Afghan territory.

Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, said Islamabad welcomed China’s continued and constructive role in Afghanistan-related diplomacy but stressed that external mediation could not replace direct action by Kabul against what Pakistan describes as terrorist infrastructure.

“Progress in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations depends on written and verifiable assurances from Afghanistan that its territory will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan,” Andrabi said.

The remarks come amid increased diplomatic efforts by China to ease tensions between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban authorities of failing to prevent militant groups, particularly the TTP, from using Afghan territory to plan or support attacks inside Pakistan—an allegation the Taliban have previously rejected.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson also said the participation of the Taliban’s ambassador in events at Pakistan’s National Defence University should not be interpreted as evidence of a broader improvement in bilateral relations.

Islamabad further maintains that simply relocating TTP fighters away from border areas would not be sufficient. Pakistan has called for the dismantling of the group’s command, training and logistical networks.

The issue remains one of the principal obstacles to improved relations between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, with security concerns continuing to overshadow diplomatic and economic engagement.