KABUL – Pakistan has rejected the Taliban’s claim that Islamabad refused Kabul’s offer to deport militants targeting Pakistan, calling the statement “false and misleading.”
In a post on X, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it “categorically rejects the deliberate twisting of facts” by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid regarding the recent Istanbul talks.
The ministry clarified that Pakistan had asked the Taliban side to control or arrest militants operating from Afghanistan.
“When the Afghan side claimed these individuals were Pakistani nationals, Pakistan immediately proposed that they be handed over through designated border crossings,” the statement said.
Zabihullah Mujahid earlier told the media that Islamabad declined Kabul’s deportation offer and asked the group to keep those individuals under control.
The clarification comes as both sides agreed to maintain a ceasefire, with another meeting set for November 6 in Istanbul to finalize implementation mechanisms. The Istanbul talks, mediated by Türkiye and Qatar from October 25 to 30, aimed to strengthen the Doha ceasefire deal and establish a joint monitoring framework.
Islamabad has long alleged that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or the TTP, operates from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, accusing the Taliban of providing shelter and arms to the group, a charge the Taliban have repeatedly denied.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as TTP fighters intensify their campaign along the border.
While the exact number of TTP fighters and their families residing in Afghanistan remains uncertain, Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former Special Envoy for Afghanistan, has estimated the figure at around 6,000.
