Pakistan welcomed Iran’s offer to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul amid prolonged border tensions, with Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi saying the country will not hesitate to engage in any constructive diplomatic effort proposed by Tehran, a brotherly neighbour with the capacity to play a meaningful role.
Andrabi, responding to a query regarding whether Tehran was working to convene a regional meeting involving Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, said Islamabad has always supported the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy and values Iran’s readiness to assist. He emphasised that Pakistan’s legal and political position on terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains “very strong,” noting that mediation is typically resisted only by parties with weaker cases.
Border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted on the night of October 11 and continued into the following morning. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, Kabul’s aggression resulted in the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani soldiers, while 200 Taliban and militants from the Khawarij faction were killed in the response. Kabul claimed the attack was retaliatory and alleged airspace violations by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad neither confirmed nor denied but maintained that Afghanistan must end its sheltering of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on its soil.
A ceasefire was reached on October 15, leading to subsequent talks in Doha, followed by a temporary reduction in border tensions. Both sides later agreed to continue the dialogue in Istanbul to develop a framework for lasting peace. The second round of negotiations began in Türkiye on October 25, but on October 29, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated the discussions had failed to produce a viable solution, reaffirming Pakistan’s resolve to take all necessary steps to protect its citizens from terrorism.
Mediators Türkiye and Qatar subsequently stepped in to revive the stalled process, and a joint statement issued on October 31 announced that further decisions would be taken at a high-level meeting scheduled for November 6 in Istanbul. However, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on November 7 that talks on cross-border terrorism had ended without progress and entered an indefinite phase after negotiators failed to bridge the differences between the two sides.
