Pakistan Rejects Afghan Preconditions, Says Only Elimination of Terrorism Matters: ISPR

Laiq Khan

Islamabad: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday said the conditions set by Afghanistan hold no significance for Pakistan, asserting that only the elimination of terrorism remains the priority.

He made the remarks during a closed-door briefing to senior journalists, following recent rounds of Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Doha and Istanbul. “The conditions set by Afghanistan hold no significance. The important thing is the eradication of terrorism,” Chaudhry said.

He stated that Pakistan’s security rests with its armed forces, not with Afghanistan, adding that Islamabad “never celebrated” the Taliban’s return to power. He confirmed that ongoing counterterrorism operations have targeted banned groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), resulting in the killing of 1,667 militants.

“In Istanbul, the Afghan Taliban were clearly told to control terrorism. How they do it is their job,” he said. “We conducted operations, terrorists fled to Afghanistan — they should be handed over to us for action under the law and Constitution.”

Chaudhry ruled out any dialogue with terrorist outfits, saying Pakistan had given the Afghan Taliban a “befitting response,” which produced the desired results.

Highlighting the criminal-terror nexus, the ISPR chief said opium cultivation continues to fund militant networks, generating between Rs1.8 and Rs2.5 million per acre. “The entire population joins in — even warlords — and they all work together,” he noted, adding that Afghan drug smugglers are not only active across the border but are also influencing Afghan politics.

According to journalist Hamid Mir, who attended the briefing, participants were shown evidence of Afghan Taliban soldiers involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan. “We were presented with the same evidence shared with the Afghan Taliban in Doha — including identification cards of Afghan Army personnel,” Mir said on Geo News.

Background: Cross-Border Tensions and Ceasefire Talks

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent weeks amid border skirmishes, allegations, and counter-claims. The latest round of hostilities began on October 11, when militants launched an attack on Pakistan from across the border. Kabul later accused Islamabad of conducting airstrikes inside Afghanistan — a claim Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied.

Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that the Afghan Taliban prevent the use of Afghan soil by terror groups. The Taliban leadership continues to deny that militants operate from Afghan territory.

After weeks of escalating tensions, both sides held talks in Doha on October 19, agreeing to an immediate ceasefire and to meet again on October 25 in Istanbul. The second round focused on developing a concrete mechanism to monitor Taliban actions aimed at preventing cross-border attacks.

Türkiye and Qatar, both long-standing partners of Pakistan, played facilitative roles in the dialogue. Qatar previously served as host for negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and NATO forces.