Pakistan on Saturday dismissed the Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid’s remarks on the Istanbul talks as “deliberately distorted,” rejecting claims that Islamabad had declined Kabul’s offer to deport alleged militants.
In a statement on X, the Ministry of Information said Pakistan had demanded that terrorists operating from Afghan soil be restrained or arrested. “When the Afghan side claimed those individuals were Pakistani nationals, Islamabad proposed their handover through designated border crossings, in line with its long-standing position,” the statement clarified, calling any contrary claim “false and misleading.”
The clarification followed Mujahid’s assertion that Afghanistan had offered to deport individuals deemed threats to Pakistan during the Istanbul talks — a proposal he claimed Islamabad rejected. Mujahid further accused Pakistan of creating conditions for a possible US return to the Bagram airbase, a claim Islamabad categorically denied.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also condemned Mujahid’s “malicious and misleading” remarks, saying Pakistan’s political and military leadership remains united on its Afghan policy and commitment to national security. He accused the Taliban regime of “harbouring India-sponsored terrorism” and failing to deliver on promises made to the international community.
Asif added that the Afghan Taliban’s internal divisions and repression of ethnic minorities, women, and children have left the regime isolated.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban regime have worsened in recent months amid rising terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to act against groups like the TTP, accused of using Afghan territory to target Pakistan.
Hostilities temporarily subsided after both sides agreed to a ceasefire on October 17, following heavy cross-border clashes. Mediated talks in Doha and Istanbul aimed to sustain peace, with another round scheduled for November 6.
