ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected an Afghan Taliban spokesperson’s remarks as misleading, saying Kabul’s continued failure to address terrorism remains the biggest obstacle to restoring normal relations between the neighbouring countries.
The ministry accused the Taliban leadership of blaming Islamabad’s policies while overlooking Pakistan’s concerns about attacks allegedly originating from Afghan territory.
It said protecting Pakistani citizens would remain the government’s overriding priority.
The ministry said the remarks reflected an unwillingness to acknowledge what Islamabad considers the underlying cause of deteriorating bilateral relations.
Taliban leaders have repeatedly questioned Pakistan’s approach without adequately addressing its allegations that armed groups use Afghan territory to threaten Pakistani security.
The ministry maintained that criticism of Islamabad would neither resolve the dispute nor relieve Kabul of its responsibilities.
It called for action against the threats identified by Pakistan.
The ministry described terrorism as a red line and said there would be no compromise on public safety.
It warned that Pakistan would not tolerate terrorist sanctuaries across its borders that threaten its security. The statement also cautioned the Taliban authorities against interpreting Islamabad’s determination to protect its population as weakness.
Pakistan reserved the right to take necessary measures against threats to national security in accordance with international law, the ministry said. It placed responsibility for addressing threats emanating from Afghan territory directly on the Taliban administration.
Security Action Linked to Normal Relations
The ministry said the Taliban government’s continued refusal to act against terrorism was preventing the restoration of normal ties.
It argued that accusations, assurances without meaningful follow-through and objections to Pakistan’s policies could not substitute for addressing Islamabad’s security concerns.
The statement further said Pakistan would not allow its security to be undermined by what it described as the Taliban leadership’s inaction, delays or misplaced priorities.
Its central message was that improved relations depended on Kabul confronting the security issues raised by Islamabad, rather than continuing exchanges of blame.
The material provided did not include the full text of the Afghan spokesperson’s original remarks or a subsequent response to Pakistan’s statement.
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The allegations therefore remain attributed to the Pakistani ministry, whose statement outlined Islamabad’s position on the dispute and conditions for normalisation.
