DPM Dar pushes Kabul to combat militancy following repeated calls with Afghan FM.

Pakistan – Afghanistan – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that he had received six calls from Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, all reinforcing the same point: Afghan soil must not be used against Pakistan.
Speaking on the Senate floor, DPM Dar remarked, “I told the Afghan minister we only want one thing: no attacks from Afghan territory.”
“The current situation has put him in a difficult position.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of the Taliban takeover in 2021, Dar remembered that Pakistani envoys initially visited Kabul with kindness, “essentially for a cup of tea,” but little mistakes quickly had huge consequences. He emphasized that such blunders should not be repeated.

Formal diplomatic ties between the two countries remained largely inactive for four years following the Taliban’s rise, but Dar traveled to Afghanistan to hold talks and sign agreements.

He reiterated that Pakistan’s sole demand has consistently been that Afghan territory not be used for attacks against Pakistan.

“Violent incidents in Afghanistan have increased since the current government assumed power,” Dar said, adding that Islamabad remains committed to defending itself and expressed hope that the talks scheduled for November 6 will advance progress.

On domestic security, he noted that operations conducted up to 2018 had significantly reduced militant attacks within Pakistan.

The government has frequently encouraged the Taliban administration to control terrorist groups responsible for several strikes in Pakistan.
However, the Taliban rule mostly ignored Pakistan’s requests and provided safe haven to a number of terrorist groups targeting security personnel and civilians.
Instead of responding to Pakistan’s worries about cross-border terrorism, the Taliban regime resorted to unprovoked fire across the border on October 12.

Ishaq Dar opened Pakistan’s first Google Chromebook assembly line.
Pakistan’s Armed Forces responded quickly, killing nearly 200 Taliban members and allied militants; nevertheless, up to 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed during the border fighting.

Security forces also conducted strikes inside Afghanistan, including in Kabul, destroying terrorists’ hideouts in the country.

Hostilities between forces of the two nations ceased after Pakistan accepted the Taliban regime’s request for a temporary ceasefire on October 17.

Delegations from the two countries later met for talks mediated by Qatar in Doha, where they agreed on a ceasefire agreement.

Turkiye then hosted the second round of talks in Istanbul, which began on October 25.

However, the talks ended inconclusively after four days over what Pakistani authorities described as the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments, which they said were “detached from ground realities”.