ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday stated that Islamabad tried to positively engage with the Afghan Taliban by offering bilateral concessions and humanitarian assistance, yet the Taliban regime made hollow promises and showed inaction, adding that Pakistan would not hold dialogue with any terrorist group.
Speaking at the Foreign Office in Islamabad, the spokesperson appreciated the efforts made by Qatar and Türkiye as mediators during the talks between Kabul and Islamabad.
The spokesperson stated that Pakistan has never avoided dialogue with any government in Kabul but that Islamabad would not hold any dialogue with any terrorist group, a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
“Pakistan would not hold dialogue with any terrorist group, be it TTP/FaK or BLA/FaH,” said the statement.
He added that there are people in Afghanistan who do not want confrontation with Pakistan, but there is a “strong lobby with monetary support from foreign actors” that has been tasked with inciting tensions.
“These elements have engaged in abuses and outrageous allegations against Pakistan. By doing so, they are rapidly eroding whatever goodwill they had within Pakistan,” the statement added.
Responding to Taliban officials’ statements calling terrorism an internal problem of Pakistan, the spokesperson stated that the Taliban regime failed to mention that there are people in Afghanistan who have issued fatwas legitimizing terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
“While the Afghan Taliban declare terrorism as Pakistan’s internal issue, they fail to mention that there are people in Afghanistan who have issued fatwas legitimizing terrorist attacks against Pakistan,” he said.
Rejecting the narrative of disagreement over Afghan policy among some elements in the Taliban regime, he stated that there is absolute clarity among the people of Pakistan that ordinary citizens are the biggest victims of terrorist activities carried out by elements hiding in Afghanistan and their abettors.
“Since the Taliban regime came to power in Afghanistan, there has been a sharp increase in terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil on Pakistan,” said the spokesperson.
He added that despite the suffering of the military and civilians due to these attacks, Pakistan “exercised maximum restraint and did not escalate.”
Discussing Pakistan’s expectations from Afghanistan, he stated that the Taliban regime would, over time, be able to take concrete actions against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) present on Afghan soil.
For this reason, he added that Islamabad also tried to positively engage with the Afghan Taliban regime by offering bilateral trade concessions and humanitarian assistance.
Despite that, he added, all these positive gestures from Pakistan to the Taliban have “only resulted in hollow promises and inaction.”
“Fitna al Khawarij-affiliated TTP and Fitna al Hindustan-affiliated Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) are declared enemies of the State of Pakistan and its people. Anyone harboring, abetting, or financing them is not considered a friend or well-wisher of Pakistan and its people,” he added.
The spokesperson stated that Pakistan is determined to take every possible action to safeguard its interests and the security of its people.
Andrabi regretted the Taliban regime’s efforts to “misrepresent” the terrorists hiding on Afghan soil as a “humanitarian issue,” where the Taliban are portraying the TTP and BLA elements as refugees in Afghanistan.
“We regret that the Taliban regime is constantly trying to misrepresent the issue of terrorists hiding in Afghanistan as a humanitarian issue,” the spokesperson added.
Talking about Pakistanis residing in Afghanistan, the spokesperson stated that the country is ready to receive any Pakistanis living there and their families, “provided they are handed over at the border crossings of Torkham or Chaman and not smuggled across the border equipped with sophisticated weapons and equipment.”
Discussing the instigation of Pashtoon nationalism in Pakistan, the spokesperson stated that there is an attempt by elements of the Taliban regime to instill Pashtoon nationalism in Pakistan.
“It is a historical fact that Pashtoons in Pakistan are a vibrant part of society and the state, holding leadership positions across the spectrum of public life and civil society,” he added.
Therefore, instead of instigating “Pashtoonism in Pakistan,” he said, it would be wise for the Taliban regime to investigate its own credentials of inclusivity across all segments of its population in its governance structures.
The spokesperson stated that Pakistan remains committed to resolving bilateral differences through dialogue.
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