Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban spokesperson’s ‘misleading’ statement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected the Afghan Taliban spokesperson’s statement, terming it misleading and contrary to facts.

In a post on social media platform X, the ministry said Pakistan rejects the misleading statement issued by the Afghan spokesperson, adding that facts related to the Istanbul talks had been distorted by the Taliban representative.

The ministry stated that Pakistan had demanded the arrest of terrorists operating from Afghan soil and had immediately offered custody transfer upon the Afghan side’s claim. It added that Pakistan’s position remains clear, consistent, and on record.

The statement further said that false claims against Pakistan are unacceptable and contradict reality. Pakistan has made it clear that the handover of terrorists can only take place through designated border entry points, and Afghanistan’s attempt to misrepresent this stance is misleading.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has cautioned that the Afghan Taliban will have to face consequences if they fail to ensure peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.

In an interview with Samaa TV on Friday, Asif said that incidents of cross-border terrorism and armed incursions must come to an immediate end, warning that continued violations would render any agreement between the two sides meaningless.

He emphasised that maintaining peace in Pakistan is the shared responsibility of the Taliban and all concerned parties, adding that persistent instability along the border would ultimately damage the Afghan Taliban’s own interests.

Earlier, Pakistan expressed hope that the next round of talks with the Afghan Taliban, scheduled for November 6, will yield a positive outcome.

During his weekly press briefing on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that “Pakistan will continue to play its role in the reconciliation process and expects positive results from the November 6 dialogue.”

Earlier, the talks between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban collapsed in Istanbul. Later, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban agreed to resume their stalled talks in Istanbul following a request from the host country.