ISLAMABAD / KABUL — The effort to settle the Pakistan–Afghanistan dispute through talks was declared exhausted by the Taliban side on Saturday, and Pakistan answered within hours with the firmest warning it has issued in the relationship, as the United States publicly acknowledged Islamabad's complaint in Atlanta. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Hurriyat Radio, a station close to the Taliban authorities, that Afghanistan had made its final efforts through talks to ease tensions, that those efforts had so far produced no results, and that messages exchanged between Kabul and Islamabad — including through mediating countries — had failed to reduce tensions, the Express Tribune reported. Pakistan Today carried Mujahid's central complaint: Pakistan 'does not want to resolve the conflict with Afghanistan through talks' and 'lacks the necessary readiness for a peaceful resolution of differences.'
Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected that account the same day, October 31, in a statement reported by Dawn and Geo News. The ministry said the Taliban leadership continued to blame Islamabad while ignoring what Pakistan described as the central issue behind the strained relations: terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and the failure to prevent attacks originating from its territory, particularly by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 'Pakistan's position is unequivocal: terrorism is a red line and the security of its citizens is non-negotiable,' the statement said. Pakistan reserved the right to take 'all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to eliminate threats to its national security, wherever they originate,' and warned that its resolve 'must never be mistaken for weakness.' It closed: 'Pakistan's security will not be held hostage to the Afghan Taliban's inaction, evasions or misplaced priorities.'
Washington weighs in in Atlanta
Speaking after the two-day G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: 'Pakistan is concerned about terrorist attacks that are being sponsored from the territory of Afghanistan. They think that the Taliban has not done enough to constrain those attacks, and they've taken action against it. We don't want Pakistan to be targeted by terrorism.' Rubio indicated Washington remained open to a productive role, while noting the United States does not have a particularly close relationship with the Taliban. Pakistan welcomed the remarks as support for its long-standing position.
Saturday's exchange follows developments already reported this week: Pakistan told a UN dialogue on Afghanistan that groups including the TTP operate from Afghan territory — Islamabad's counsellor Muhammad Jawad Ajmal cited a figure of more than 4,700 Pakistanis killed in attacks originating from Afghanistan over three years, a Pakistani claim the Taliban authorities dispute — and cross-border firing was reported again this week around Angoor Adda in South Waziristan and near Torkham, with each side blaming the other. Those casualty and firing claims are attributed to the side that made them and have not been independently verified. Earlier mediation tracks, including talks facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye last year and efforts involving China this year, ended without a breakthrough, and the Moscow Format meeting between the two governments ended in October without a joint statement.
What is solid
- Mujahid said on October 31 that Kabul's talk efforts and mediated message exchanges had produced no result, and accused Pakistan of lacking readiness for a peaceful settlement (Hurriyat Radio remarks via Express Tribune, Pakistan Today and Dawn)
- Pakistan's information ministry answered on October 31 that terrorism is a red line, reserved the right to necessary measures under international law, and said Pakistan's security would not be held hostage to Taliban inaction (ministry statement via Dawn and Geo News)
- Rubio said in Atlanta that Pakistan was concerned about attacks sponsored from Afghan territory, that the Taliban had not done enough to constrain them, and that the US did not want Pakistan targeted by terrorism
- No agreement was announced and no new round of talks has been scheduled
What is only claimed
- Whether militant groups such as the TTP operate from Afghan territory with Taliban tolerance — Pakistan's central allegation, which the Taliban authorities deny, saying Afghanistan is not the creator of the problem
- Casualty figures and responsibility for this week's border firing around Angoor Adda and Torkham, which each side attributes differently and which have not been independently verified
- A red line is a stated position, not a decision taken: the ministry statement announced no measure, deadline or operation