Saudi Arabia on Sunday welcomed the announcement of an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Source: x.com/arabnews
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday acknowledged that there have been no major terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil since the Doha ceasefire agreement, calling the development a “positive outcome” as talks between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban regime move to Istanbul for the next round.
New Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, in his first weekly press briefing, said the truce agreed in Doha earlier this week had, “on the whole, held.”
“There has been no major large-scale terrorist attack emanating from Afghan soil into Pakistan in the last two to three days,” Andrabi noted. “In reality, the Doha negotiations and their results have been successful. We would like to see this trend continue in Istanbul and beyond.”
The spokesperson said Pakistan’s main expectations from the Afghan side remained unchanged: Afghan soil should not be used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
Andrabi reiterated that Islamabad had approached the process with “sincere purpose and intention”, stressing that the objective of the talks was to establish a “verifiable and empirical mechanism” to ensure that the Taliban regime in Kabul takes concrete measures against terrorist groups targeting Pakistan.
He confirmed that the Doha agreement was the result of delegation-level negotiations led by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, focused on ending cross-border terrorism and restoring peace along the border. The next meeting, hosted by Türkiye in Istanbul on October 25, will seek to finalize the proposed monitoring framework.
Responding to questions about recent statements by Afghan officials disputing the existence of a formal agreement, Andrabi said Pakistan did not attach importance to the terminology.
“We don’t understand much in the nomenclature assigned by the Taliban – whether it is an agreement, a truce or a treaty. The fact is that a substantial document has been finalized, which is commendable,” he said.
He added that Pakistan continues to take Afghan threats and cross-border attacks seriously, emphasizing that the security of Islamabad and the lives of its citizens come before trade facilitation.
“At border points linked to Afghan transit trade, armed attacks were carried out against Pakistan, killing Pakistanis,” Andrabi said. “For us, the lives of Pakistanis are more important than any commercial product.”
Although he did not confirm who would lead the Pakistani delegation to the Istanbul talks, Andrabi said “a representative Pakistani delegation” would attend the meeting.
The spokesperson also responded to questions about the Taliban’s plan to build a dam on the Kunar River, saying Pakistan was studying the issue.
“Transboundary rivers are governed by international law,” he said. “In these areas, Pakistan is both an upper and lower riparian, and we will follow this matter accordingly.”
Reaffirming Islamabad’s approach towards Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan always seeks peace and stability in Afghanistan.
“Our message to the Taliban regime in Kabul is clear: stop these attacks, control and apprehend TTP terrorists and other armed groups, and our relations could be restored. We are not asking for the moon; we are asking them to respect their own commitments,” he said.
