Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, has stated that Islamabad will not normalize diplomatic relations with the Taliban until the issues of ongoing violence in Afghanistan and alleged support for terrorism are fundamentally addressed.
Responding to a question on whether allowing the transfer of United Nations humanitarian aid through the Torkham border crossing could help reduce tensions between the two countries, Andrabi said that relations between Kabul and Islamabad remain frozen and will continue to remain so until the Taliban fully cease supporting terrorist activities in Pakistan.
According to him, the authorities in Kabul must officially and practically withdraw from any form of terrorist activity against Pakistan and from providing support to such activities.
The spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry added that Islamabad expects the Taliban to provide credible, verifiable, and written assurances that Afghan territory will not be used for planning, financing, or carrying out attacks against Pakistan’s security.
Pakistan has emphasized that diplomatic relations between the two countries will not be normalized until these conditions are met and formal written commitments are received, and that the current state of strained relations will remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have repeatedly rejected such allegations by Pakistan, stating that they will not allow Afghan territory to be used against any neighboring country.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
