ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Atta Tarar, was briefing the media when he remarked that the Afghan Taliban must ensure that their territory is not used for actions against Pakistan. The response of his statement to the joint communiqué of the talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban was obvious.
Atta Tarar went on to explain that Pakistan will have a new platform to bring forward the evidence of terrorism. He added that Pakistan’s friendly nations were very supportive of this positive move.
Tarar disclosed that the Afghan Taliban had pledged to stop terrorist activities, and Pakistan is inclined to believe that they will honor their commitment. He also added that the ceasefire violations, if any, will be punished and the respective party held accountable.
In addition to that, Minister indicated that the ceasefire agreement made room for collaboration against groups such as “Fitna al-Khawarij” (foreign insurgents). He went on to say that the Afghan Taliban must ensure that their land is not used against Pakistan.
With respect to the Pakistani-Afghan border reopening, Atta Tarar was quoted as saying that the decision would be taken at a later stage after further talks on the issue.
The Minister’s remark is a clear indication of the continuing engagements to bring about harmony in the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as dealing with concerns about terrorism and cross-border security.
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Meanwhile, after a series of talks in Istanbul, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend the ceasefire, which was the result of their last talks. The discussions held from October 25 to 30, 2025, were mediated by Turkey and Qatar.
The meetings mainly revolved around the negotiation and supplementing of the ceasefire accord, which was initially obtained in Doha on October 18-19, 2025. Pakistan and Afghanistan have vowed to keep the ceasefire and are considering its prolongation.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an official statement, declared that the two parties not only consented to the renewal of the truce but also to the establishment of the joint monitoring team to supervise the implementation. The release cited that the next meeting in Istanbul on November 6, 2025, would be dedicated to ironing out the detailed and exact framework of the ceasefire including the terms and regulations.
The statement further elaborated that the joint monitoring system would be the watchdog for the fulfillment of the agreement and if any party was found to break the terms, it would impose sanctions upon them. The system is designed to keep each side in check while coiling away the potential for any new flare-ups.
As the mediators, Turkey and Qatar were very happy with the positive attitudes and behaviors of both parties and assured that they would remain engaged in peace and stability mission in the region. Besides, the joint statement emphasized that persistence in collaborative works between Afghanistan and Pakistan would not only help them to eliminate the roots of conflict but also enable them to erect durable peace.
Such an agreement is a turning point for the two neighboring countries in terms of their bilateral relations and it is a welcome sign of peace not only for them but also for the entire South Asia region.
