Both sides move away from public rhetoric to restore ties; Pakistan insists on verifiable counterterrorism measures
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Afghanistan appear to be making a renewed but cautious effort to overcome their deep differences over the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and recent developments suggest a deliberate effort by both sides to soften public posturing even as broader progress remains elusive.
While a visible stalemate persists on major security concerns, particularly Islamabad’s demand that Afghan soil should not be used for cross-border attacks, behind-the-scenes diplomacy appears to have yielded at least one tangible result: a reduction in rhetoric and an emphasis on dialogue over confrontation.
Sources said mediators wanted both sides to at least reduce public rhetoric to create a positive atmosphere for talks. According to them, the mediators persuaded the Taliban regime in Kabul to take certain measures, such as issuing a fatwa and an unambiguous public statement by its leadership on how to address Pakistan’s security concerns.
This change has been reflected in a series of carefully worded statements from Kabul and Islamabad over the past week, following a major religious intervention by Afghan clerics.
Afghan ulama recently issued a fatwa prohibiting Afghans from carrying out attacks beyond the country’s borders, a move welcomed in Islamabad as a possible confidence-building measure rather than a definitive solution.
Shortly after the fatwa, Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani publicly assured Pakistan that Afghan soil would not be used against any other country. His comments were widely seen by Pakistani officials as part of a broader attempt to reduce tensions and rebuild a minimum level of trust.
On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed Haqqani’s statement and praised his emphasis on resolving outstanding issues through negotiations rather than confrontation.
Kabul’s response was immediate.
On Sunday, Sirajuddin Haqqani welcomed Dar’s comments, as well as a separate statement issued by Pakistani religious scholars in Karachi, who had urged both governments to resolve their differences through dialogue. Haqqani stressed the importance of engagement, signaling Kabul’s receptiveness to non-military avenues to ease tensions.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi welcomed the scholars’ call, noting that religious leaders have historically played a constructive role during periods of tension and have often helped guide societies toward prudent decisions.
The growing participation of religious voices from both sides appears to be aimed at creating political and moral space to reduce tension at a time when formal diplomatic channels have struggled to achieve results.
Despite multiple rounds of talks, progress has been limited. Following the inconclusive end of recent discussions between Taliban regime delegations and Pakistan, Dar confirmed that further engagements had taken place in Saudi Arabia.
However, he acknowledged that those talks, like previous ones organized by Turkiye and Qatar, did not achieve concrete results.
The admission underscores the depth of the impasse. Pakistan has repeatedly insisted that improving ties depends on verifiable action against the TTP, which Islamabad says operates from Afghan territory.
Kabul, for its part, has maintained that it does not allow its soil to be used against any country, although it often frames the issue as an internal Pakistani challenge.
Speaking about recent security developments, Dar said Islamabad was closely following developments in recent weeks and months, and emphasized that any improvement in relations depends on the Afghan side’s fulfillment of commitments.
“What happened last month, what changed last week and the improvements that follow those actions… they know very well that if some of our requests are met, especially on counterterrorism, the impact will be very substantial,” Dar said.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan was not seeking rhetorical assurances but concrete steps, particularly in the area of counter-terrorism cooperation. According to officials, Islamabad believes that even limited and visible action could help alter the current trajectory of bilateral relations.
Dar also welcomed the fatwa issued by Afghan religious scholars prohibiting fighting beyond Afghan territory, describing it as a positive sign. He expressed gratitude for Haqqani’s statement reaffirming that Afghan soil would not be used against other countries.
“I believe that if they seriously implement the commitments made in the two fatwas and the recent statement by Sirajuddin Haqqani, and if a noticeable difference is seen in the next two to four weeks, I am confident that our government, the Prime Minister and the Field Marshal will be happy to reconsider the matter,” he said.
The reference to a defined time period suggests that Islamabad is looking for early indicators of change, rather than indefinite guarantees. For now, both sides appear to be calibrating their approach, avoiding public escalation, welcoming conciliatory language and allowing religious actors to play a mediating role.
Whether this softer tone translates into concrete action on the ground remains uncertain. Still, the recent exchange of statements marks a departure from the harsh rhetoric that has characterized much of the past year, offering a narrow opening for compromise at a time when both Islamabad and Kabul face growing domestic and regional pressures.
