ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Army on Monday took a firm position against the Afghan Taliban regime ahead of the upcoming round of talks in Istanbul, declaring that Pakistan’s sole and non-negotiable demand is an immediate end to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.
“Pakistan has a one-point agenda: Afghan soil must not be used against us,” said Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the military’s spokesperson, during a media briefing at the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). He dismissed the Taliban’s preconditions for dialogue as “meaningless,” stressing that only verifiable action against terrorists matters.
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The Istanbul talks, scheduled for November 6, follow last month’s six-day discussions mediated by Turkiye and Qatar. Those talks reaffirmed the ceasefire agreed in Doha and proposed a monitoring mechanism to prevent cross-border terrorism. Ahead of the meeting, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah held internal consultations with his team in Kandahar.
Gen Chaudhry revealed that 1,667 terrorists have been killed in ongoing operations against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with 206 Afghan Taliban fighters and 112 TTP militants killed during recent border tensions. He noted that about 60% of those killed in infiltration attempts in recent months were Afghan nationals, underscoring the blurred lines between the TTP and Taliban fighters.
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He also denied claims of a secret US-Pakistan agreement allowing drone strikes in Afghanistan, calling it “fake news propagated by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.” Gen Chaudhry further warned that India was planning a “false flag” operation in the maritime domain to fabricate evidence of Pakistani aggression, vowing a “far stronger and decisive” response if provoked.
On reports regarding Pakistan’s potential participation in a Gaza peacekeeping force, the spokesman said any decision would rest with the government and parliament, emphasizing that national consensus would guide the move.