Pakistani Foreign Minister Says Talks with Taliban in Saudi Arabia Yielded No Results
Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, has announced that the talks held with the Taliban administration in Saudi Arabia did not yield any logical results, just as previous negotiations in Qatar and Turkey were also fruitless.
Speaking at a press conference, he said Islamabad has good intentions towards Afghanistan, but Pakistan’s only clear demand is that Afghan territory should not be used against Pakistan. According to him, ongoing security concerns are the main obstacle to improving relations between the two sides.
Ishaq Dar also expressed hope that recent remarks by Sirajuddin Haqqani could help reduce tensions, although he emphasized that so far the Taliban administration’s responses have not been satisfactory and no effective action has been seen against armed groups.
The Pakistani foreign minister welcomed a recent fatwa by several Afghan religious scholars condemning the use of Afghan soil against other countries and once again urged the Taliban administration to prevent such actions. He stated that the alleged use of Afghan territory for attacks on Pakistan is the primary reason for the suspension or slowdown of trade relations between the two countries.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks inside Pakistan are organized by armed groups based in Afghanistan—a charge the Taliban administration has consistently denied. However, critics say the lack of transparency and effective measures continue to keep these concerns alive.
