Pakistan Rules Out Unconditional Talks with Afghanistan, Demands Security Guarantees

DID Press: Pakistan has said it is willing to hold talks with Afghanistan but ruled out unconditional negotiations, insisting that any agreement must address Islamabad’s security concerns.

Sajjad Haider Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a weekly press briefing on Friday that Islamabad was not avoiding dialogue with Afghan representatives. He added that Pakistan welcomed sincere efforts by friendly countries to resolve disputes between the two sides and promote regional peace and stability.

Commenting on reports of possible Russian mediation between Kabul and Islamabad, Khan said he was not aware of any separate, formal Russian initiative currently under discussion. He said Pakistan remained open to constructive engagement, provided it produced tangible progress.

The spokesperson also attributed the failure to issue a joint statement following the recent Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan to disagreements over references to terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory. According to Khan, the Afghan delegation did not accept wording that had been agreed upon the previous year.

Khan said Pakistan’s central demand was the establishment of a verifiable mechanism to ensure a complete halt to terrorist activities against Pakistan originating from Afghan soil. He stressed that concrete action by the Taliban authorities against militant groups would be necessary for meaningful progress in negotiations.

The remarks come amid continued tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, with disputes over militant activity, cross-border security and responsibility for attacks remaining major obstacles to improved relations.