Khawaja Asif Hopes for Progress in Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks Amid Ongoing Tensions as the Defence Minister expressed guarded optimism ahead of the third round of negotiations between the two neighbouring countries. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Asif said Pakistan’s delegation had departed for Istanbul, where the latest phase of dialogue is being held under the mediation of Qatar and Turkiye.
The defence minister made it clear that Pakistan’s focus remains unwavering — the Taliban regime must take decisive action against terrorist outfits including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and other groups operating from Afghan soil. Asif warned that the entire dialogue process would be a futile exercise if no tangible progress was achieved.
The first round of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan took place in Doha, resulting in an immediate ceasefire, while the second round in Istanbul lasted six days and concluded with a joint statement. That statement affirmed a mutual commitment to establish a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to maintain peace and penalize any violating party.
The ongoing engagement comes in the wake of escalating cross-border hostilities, with Pakistan previously conducting precision strikes on terrorist sanctuaries inside Afghanistan following militant aggression along the western frontier. The Afghan Taliban had reportedly sought a ceasefire, requesting Qatar’s intervention to de-escalate tensions.
Reiterating his stance, Khawaja Asif said, “TTP is Kabul’s proxy and Afghanistan is a proxy of India,” underlining Islamabad’s hardened position on the matter. He added that Pakistan’s Afghan policy is now unambiguous, stating, “The situation is clear — we now know who is our enemy and who is not.
