Crucial Doha talks to begin today, Pakistan to seek written assurances from Taliban, FO says Pakistan exercise
Pakistani soldiers keep vigil next to the newly fenced border fence along the border of the Afghan Paktika province in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan. Photo: AFP)
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime agreed on Friday to extend their temporary ceasefire that came into effect earlier this week following deadly border clashes, as both sides prepare for crucial talks in Doha on Saturday aimed at reducing tensions.
Officials confirmed to The Express PAkGazette that the agenda of the Doha meeting will revolve around a single point: ensuring that terrorist groups, particularly the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), cannot use Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.
Unlike previous rounds, officials said this time Pakistan would want written assurances and a clear timeline, providing for “tangible and verifiable” measures against the TTP and its Kabul regime affiliates.
“Nothing less and nothing more,” said a source, adding that Pakistan had given diplomacy one more chance at the request of friendly countries. Qatar is playing the role of mediator between the two sides.
The ceasefire was first announced on Wednesday after several days of fierce fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border left dozens dead on both sides. The clashes, centered on the Spin Boldak-Chaman and Torkham sectors, marked the most serious escalation between the two countries in recent years.
In his last official press briefing as Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan was “deeply concerned about the unjustified aggression of the Afghan Taliban and its affiliated terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.”
He said Pakistan had exercised its right to self-defence by repelling attacks and inflicting heavy losses on Taliban forces and associated terrorist elements, while ensuring that civilian lives were not targeted.
“At the request of the Taliban regime and with mutual consent, both sides decided to implement a temporary ceasefire,” the spokesperson said. “During this period, sincere efforts are being made to find a positive solution through constructive dialogue.”
The spokesman stressed that Pakistan “values dialogue and diplomacy” but warned that Islamabad would take all possible measures to protect its territorial integrity and the lives of its people.
He also rejected the recent statements made by the acting Afghan Foreign Minister during his visit to India, calling them baseless and an attempt to divert attention from the presence of terrorist elements in Afghanistan.
“The continued presence of terrorist elements on Afghan soil and the freedom of activities they enjoy are well documented, including in the reports of the UN Monitoring Team,” he added.
According to officials, the Doha talks will also test the Taliban’s willingness to act against TTP sanctuaries. “Pakistan expects concrete and verifiable action against terrorist elements,” a senior official told The Express PAkGazette, adding that Islamabad has shared “credible evidence” of cross-border involvement through diplomatic channels.
The Ministry of External Affairs also expressed strong reservations over the India-Afghanistan joint statement issued in New Delhi last week, calling the reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India “a violation of UN Security Council resolutions”.
Despite rising tensions, Pakistan reiterated its desire for a peaceful, stable and regionally connected Afghanistan, while urging the Taliban to honor commitments made in the Doha process of not allowing its territory to be used against any country.
The Doha meeting, which is expected to be attended by senior representatives from both sides, is seen as a crucial opportunity to cement the fragile ceasefire and avoid another round of deadly border hostilities.
Observers, however, are skeptical of any major breakthrough, given the Afghan Taliban’s track record.
