Pakistan sets condition for talks with Afghanistan — Dawn
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that talks with Afghanistan cannot be unconditional. Islamabad demands the establishment of a mechanism that would make it possible to verify the cessation of attacks on Pakistan from Afghan territory, Dawn reports.
Condition for dialogue
Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said that the country is not rejecting dialogue, including with Afghan representatives, and is ready to support sincere mediation efforts by friendly states. At the same time, he said, talks must produce tangible results in the security sphere.
Pakistan links the normalization of relations to action against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other groups that, Islamabad claims, use Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border. Taliban representatives reject accusations that Afghanistan is a base for attacks against Pakistan.
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Russian mediation
Khan also said he was unaware of a separate official Russian mediation initiative between the sides that is currently being discussed. Earlier, Russia’s special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow was ready to assist in a settlement if both sides requested it.
Consultations in the Moscow format on October 5 ended without a joint communiqué because of differences between the Pakistani and Afghan delegations over references to terrorist networks that, according to Pakistan’s position, operate in Afghanistan. In October 2025, Qatar and Turkey helped secure a ceasefire, Saudi Arabia held separate consultations, and China organized talks in Urumqi in April. According to Dawn, these efforts failed to resolve differences over the groups and the prevention of cross-border attacks.
Statement on India
Separately, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson condemned statements by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh about the possibility of a larger retaliatory strike in response to future terrorist attacks. Khan said that any future aggression against Pakistan would receive a stronger response.
