ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that the responsibility now lies with Afghanistan’s Taliban regime to act against terrorists operating from Afghan soil, following the creation of a joint monitoring and verification mechanism with the involvement of third parties.
The minister’s comments came days after Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Pakistan and Afghan Taliban had agreed to maintain a ceasefire and establish a joint system to monitor and verify any violations.
The understanding was reached during talks held in Istanbul from 25–30 October, mediated by Turkiye and Qatar.
Tarar praised both countries for facilitating the dialogue, saying Pakistan’s civil and military leadership were “on the same page” in their approach to counterterrorism and border security.
He said the new mechanism “removes any justification for the Taliban administration to avoid acting against militants”.
According to officials, the Istanbul talks produced a three-point framework — continuation of the ceasefire, creation of a monitoring and verification mechanism, and penalties for any violations.
Operational details of the arrangement are expected to be finalised when senior representatives, or “principals”, from both sides meet again in Istanbul on 6 November.
Speaking to Geo News, Tarar said the new framework would give Islamabad “an additional platform to provide evidence” of cross-border terrorist activity.
“The onus is on the Afghan regime because their soil is being used for terrorism in Pakistan by Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan,” he said, referring respectively to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan-based terror groups that Islamabad links to Indian support. “If they do not take action, they will receive punishment.”
Tarar reiterated that Pakistan remains firm on its core demands — ending terrorism, preventing cross-border attacks, and respecting border sanctity. “Now that third parties are involved, the Afghan Taliban have no room to make excuses like before,” he said.
Asked whether Pakistan would carry out strikes inside Afghanistan if new attacks occur, Tarar said any response “would depend on the situation” and be in line with international law and the UN Charter.
He dismissed claims from Kabul that Pakistan had rejected an offer to hand over terror suspects, calling such statements an attempt to “twist facts” after the Istanbul talks.
“Pakistan has long demanded that any terrorists posing a threat to us be controlled or arrested,” he said, adding that Islamabad proposed such handovers occur through designated border crossings.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime have deteriorated in recent weeks amid cross-border clashes. The latest hostilities began on 11 October, when Afghan Taliban and their allied terrorist groups launched attacks on Pakistani positions from across the border.
Islamabad retaliated with strikes that killed more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists. Following days of escalating violence, a temporary ceasefire was agreed on 17 October at Kabul’s request.
The two sides first met in Doha for talks mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, which produced a limited truce.
The process was revived in Istanbul after Pakistan briefly announced that negotiations had “failed” and that its delegation was preparing to return home.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban regime of allowing terrorist groups, including the TTP, to use Afghan territory to stage cross-border attacks.
Tarar described the Taliban government as a “fractured regime” lacking full control over Afghan territory.
“They should stop levelling baseless allegations at Pakistan,” he said, calling the regime’s recent statements “propaganda”.
The minister expressed hope that the Istanbul mechanism would lead to lasting peace and stability along the border, with third-party oversight ensuring accountability.
“This is an important step,” he said, “because it ends the excuses and creates a process for verification, evidence-sharing and action.”
