Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif led a high-level delegation to Doha, Qatar, on Saturday for talks with the Afghan Taliban, following an agreement to extend the fragile ceasefire between the two neighbors. The Foreign Office (FO) said discussions would focus on ending cross-border terrorism and restoring peace along the Pak-Afghan border, where fighting this month marked the worst confrontation in decades.
The talks come as Islamabad repeatedly accuses Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants, responsible for thousands of attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban deny providing safe havens. The FO reiterated that Pakistan does not seek escalation but urged Kabul to take “verifiable action” against terrorist entities operating from its soil.
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Afghan spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the Doha talks, saying an Islamic Emirate delegation led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob was attending. Pakistan acknowledged Qatar’s mediation and appreciated international efforts, including from Saudi Arabia and the United States, to defuse tensions. Asif, however, warned that Islamabad’s patience had limits, citing over 4,000 Pakistani lives lost since 2021. “Afghanistan must live as a good neighbor,” he said, insisting that the era of forced hospitality for Afghan nationals in Pakistan was ending.
