Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar has said that after the establishment of a joint monitoring and verification mechanism, the responsibility now squarely lies with Kabul to act against terrorists using Afghan soil to carry out attacks on Pakistan. He said the system would serve as an additional platform for Pakistan to present evidence, while the Afghan Taliban government would be obligated to take action or face penalties for violations.
The second round of talks between delegations of Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban began in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s longstanding concerns over cross-border terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan remained a major sticking point, leading to a temporary breakdown in the negotiations.
Turkey and Qatar later intervened for the second time in less than a week to rescue the dialogue process after Pakistan announced on Wednesday that the talks had “collapsed” and that its negotiators were preparing to return home.
During the discussions, both sides reportedly agreed on a three-point framework continuation of the ceasefire, establishment of a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace, and imposition of penalties in case of violations. The operational details of this mechanism will be finalised on November 6 in Istanbul during a follow-up meeting of senior representatives from both sides.
Speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar said the proposed joint monitoring system would evaluate recent activities and determine a structured process for verification and accountability.
“The responsibility lies with the Afghan government because groups such as Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan are using their territory to carry out terrorism in Pakistan,” he said. “This will serve as an additional forum for Pakistan to provide evidence, and the Afghan Taliban government will have to act. If they fail to do so, they will face penalties.”
The term Fitnatul Khawarij is officially used by the Pakistani state to refer to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitnatul Hindustan refers to groups active in Balochistan — a phrase used to highlight India’s alleged role in promoting terrorism and instability in the province.
When asked whether Pakistan would consider retaliatory strikes on Afghan soil if attacks continued after the establishment of the mechanism, Tarar said the decision would depend on the situation. “If the circumstances become grave and Pakistan’s right of self-defence under international law and the UN Charter is established, an appropriate response will be decided accordingly,” he said.
He added that once the mechanism is in place and evidence is jointly verified, whichever side violates the agreement will face consequences. “Now, the Afghan Taliban have no room for excuses. Since third parties are involved, they will be obligated to act,” he remarked.
Responding to a question about Afghanistan’s reported offer to hand over suspected terrorists to Pakistan, Tarar clarified that Islamabad had already rejected the proposal, questioning the Taliban’s motives for issuing such statements after the talks.
“The matter is clear,” he said. “Pakistan had demanded that terrorists posing a threat to us be controlled or apprehended. The Afghan side, however, argues that they are Pakistani nationals and should be handed over. I believe these new statements are an attempt to distort facts. We had proposed handover through the border route — this has been our consistent stance. I don’t understand why they are complicating matters by issuing such comments.”
Tarar described the Afghan Taliban government as a “divided system” lacking full control over Afghanistan. “They are fragmented and not every faction is under command,” he noted. “In contrast, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership is completely aligned. They (the Taliban) should stop blaming Pakistan. This is propaganda, and we have responded effectively.”
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated in recent weeks, marked by cross-border clashes, accusations, and retaliatory statements. The latest strain began on the night of October 11, when Pakistan came under attack from across the border. Earlier, the Afghan Taliban had accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes inside Afghanistan — an allegation neither confirmed nor denied by Islamabad.
Pakistan has long urged the Taliban to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorist activities against it, while the Taliban have consistently denied that Afghanistan serves as a safe haven for militants. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to battle terrorism within its borders, with numerous security personnel martyred in intelligence-based operations in recent months. Following the initial clash, several more skirmishes were reported along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with Pakistani forces also targeting camps of the Gul Bahadur group inside Afghan territory.
Eventually, both sides returned to the negotiating table in Doha, where they agreed to a temporary ceasefire and decided to resume peace talks in Istanbul for long-term stability. Turkey and Qatar, which maintain close ties with Pakistan, have played an important mediating role. Qatar previously facilitated the landmark talks between the Afghan Taliban and NATO forces, underscoring its influence in regional diplomacy.
