Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that the Afghan Taliban regime was to blame for the breakdown of talks between Islamabad and Kabul as the two countries engaged in a lengthy round of dialogue to try and achieve a permanent ceasefire and cessation of terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil.

Pakistan witnessed a rapid deterioration in ties with Afghanistan, with both sides engaging in recent border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations. The hostilities began earlier this month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of October 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan — an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.

For its part, Islamabad has long demanded that the Afghan Taliban stop terror groups from using its soil against Pakistan. Taliban, however, deny the allegation of allowing terrorists to operate from Afghan soil.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to grapple with the issue of terrorism and has suffered multiple casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations.

After the initial skirmish on October 11, multiple others took place along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Meanwhile, strikes by Islamabad also targeted Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan. Eventually, the two sides came together for dialogue in Doha, which resulted in a temporary ceasefire, as well as a commitment to reconvene in Istanbul to work on mechanisms for lasting peace and stability between the two countries.

Last week, the second round of talks, which were being mediated by Turkiye and Qatar, between the two sides began in the Turkish capital.

But earlier today, Tarar announced that the latest round of talks between Islamabad and Kabul in Istanbul “failed to bring about any workable solution”.

Elaborating more on the matter in an interview on Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the information minister said: “The Afghan Taliban regime is completely responsible for the breakdown of the talks.

“When irrefutable evidence was given to them and their soil is being used against Pakistan’s sovereignty and for terrorist activities, and their people are involved with the TTP, then why are they resorting to evasion?”

The information minister added that Pakistan was thankful to Qatar and Turkiye for facilitating the talks, but said the Afghan Taliban had failed to agree on a unified agenda to stop terror attacks and take action against the groups responsible.

“How much more can we tolerate it?”

When asked about whether a ceasefire still existed after the failure of the talks, Tarar said: “Hope always remains for diplomatic efforts and it should always be there. Hope always remains in global issues that some diplomatic sources and matters will go towards peace, but rest assured: if their soil is used and we give them evidence of that, then Pakistan always has the right to respond for its self-defence.”

Questioned about the Taliban negotiators giving a verbal agreement but not a written undertaking to take action against the TTP, Tarar said that hesitating from signing the written agreement amounted to “hypocrisy” and asked if it was not evidence that “they want to support terrorists and are doing so”.

He questioned what more proof did the world need that the Afghan Taliban were not willing to stop terrorist activities and had malicious intent.

“Their word can’t be trusted, and their ill intent has come out openly. Why were they present in India when they conspired to attack Pakistan’s border?”

He said only “time will tell” how matters progressed from here on and border trade would remain shut for the time being due to the deadlock. “A final decision will be made in the next few days on what will be the future of all this.”

Conventional and proxy warfare advantage

Reiterating Pakistan’s military and diplomatic performance in the conflict against India, the information minister said about Afghanistan: “What do they think? Can they damage Pakistan through such activities? Absolutely not!”

He said there was no match between Pakistan and Afghanistan in terms of conventional warfare, adding that “we will defeat them in proxy war[fare] too”.

When asked about the alleged threats made by the Taliban regime of striking Islamabad amid the current escalation, Tarar derided what he said was “propaganda warfare” and said Pakistan was not only effectively responding to it but would give a befitting response to it.

He maintained that said that the “unholy alliance” of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan would be snuffed out, while referring to the Afghan foreign minister’s remarks in India about occupied Kashmir during his visit to the country.

“Rest assured, if they attack through the border, or their soil is used, and we will present evidence of it before the world, it will be befittingly responded to. There will always be a response to attacking Pakistan or harming it; enough is enough. How long will they take Pakistan for granted?”

He added that, as per the UN Charter and international law, Pakistan had a right to respond if there was a direct or indirect attack on its territory and it could present evidence for it.

The minister questioned whether any other country would exhibit such restraint and give such leeway to the Afghan Taliban in the face of such attacks.

Tarar elaborated that the Pakistani state had a clear stance that Afghan soil should not be used for attacks on the former’s territory, nor should terrorists be facilitated by the latter; the movement of terrorists from the neighbouring country should also stop by respecting the integrity of international territorial borders and the interim Afghan authorities should take concrete action against terrorist elements.

The minister said there was a consensus in Pakistan that the above activities should stop. “Since the Afghan Taliban regime came to power, it has completely supported the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan join their formations.”

“Whenever there is an attack or terrorist activity in Pakistan, we show the whole nation and the world on television that Afghan nationals are oftentimes involved in them.”

He added that Pakistan had always desired peace and had played a constructive role, adding that the Taliban had violated the Doha agreement before as well and let down all parties to the deal.

“I think the Taliban regime does not have the support of the Afghan nation or the people. They want a war economy, but can’t sustain it.”