Pakistan Conditions Reopening of Afghanistan Border on End to Terrorism

DID Press: Pakistan has said it is ready to reopen its border crossings with Afghanistan, restore transit trade and use Afghanistan as a regional connectivity hub, but has conditioned the move on Kabul taking decisive and verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory.

Sajjad Haider Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, made the remarks at a weekly press briefing on Thursday, saying that “the action now rests on the other side.” He said Pakistan’s policy was to have a peaceful Afghanistan and that Islamabad was prepared to resume trade and regional connectivity if Afghanistan cooperated on counterterrorism.

Khan also said Pakistan had previously engaged with Afghanistan through the facilitation of China, Türkiye and Qatar, including talks in Qatar and Istanbul, but claimed those efforts had not produced the desired outcome because of what Islamabad described as a lack of cooperation from the Afghan side.

The Pakistani official said Islamabad’s concerns include alleged militant activity from Afghan territory, and reiterated that tangible and verifiable counterterrorism measures are necessary for progress in bilateral relations. Pakistan has made similar demands in recent weeks, specifically referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups.

The remarks come as trade and movement across key Pakistan-Afghanistan crossings remain an important issue for both countries. Pakistan has previously described the crossings at Torkham and Chaman as strategically important routes for bilateral and regional trade.