Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks Scheduled for Tomorrow; Islamabad Urges Taliban to Address Security Concerns

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office has announced that talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban will be held tomorrow, focusing primarily on cross-border terrorism originating from Afghan soil.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andarabi said Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban to address its security concerns and to fulfill the commitments they made to the international community.

“The talks are being hosted by Türkiye under the framework of the Doha negotiations. Pakistan continues to closely monitor the situation in Afghanistan and expects the Taliban to implement the pledges made during the Doha process,” Andarabi said.

The spokesperson also condemned Israel’s ongoing actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. “Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s attempts to annex parts of the West Bank. We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Palestinian cause,” he said.

Andarabi noted that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued its fourth ruling against Israel since January 2024, emphasizing that Israel must not obstruct humanitarian aid operations. He added that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Muslim countries have issued a joint declaration denouncing Israel’s new illegal annexation laws concerning occupied Palestinian lands.

Highlighting recent diplomatic engagements, Andarabi said that Poland’s Foreign Minister paid a two-day visit to Pakistan during which both countries agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors and signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

He also shared that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held three key diplomatic interactions this week, including a phone conversation with the UAE’s Foreign Minister and separate contacts with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

“Pakistan supports the establishment of a robust and verifiable mechanism to combat terrorism,” the spokesperson emphasized, reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to regional peace and stability.