Pakistan has said any bilateral mechanism with the current administration of Kabul will depend on “concrete and verifiable actions,” not assurances, as tensions between the two neighbors continue over cross-border militancy.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Islamabad is prepared for institutional coordination with the Taliban only if it leads to measurable progress on counterterrorism and border management, according to The Express Tribune.
Andrabi made the remarks in response to a question about the Taliban’s reported proposal to establish a special bilateral mechanism to address disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“For any dialogue to move forward, the Afghan Taliban must ensure that Afghanistan territory is not used for terrorist activities against Pakistan,” Andrabi said.
He added that the Taliban should fulfill their international commitments, including obligations under the Doha Agreement, and prevent groups hostile to Pakistan from operating from Afghanistan territory.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) of using Afghanistan as a base to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
“We are ready for institutional coordination, provided it results in concrete and verifiable action on counterterrorism and effective border management,” Andrabi said.
The Taliban administration has consistently rejected Pakistan’s allegations, saying Afghanistan territory is not used to threaten other countries and denying that TTP fighters operate from Afghanistan.
The dispute over militant groups has become one of the main sources of tension between Pakistan and the Taliban administration since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has blamed cross-border attacks on militants based in Afghanistan, while the Taliban have rejected responsibility.
Relations between the two sides have deteriorated over the past year, with security incidents and border clashes contributing to repeated disruptions in bilateral ties.
