Pakistan Ties Taliban Talks to Elimination of Security Threats
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that continued dialogue with the Taliban administration is impossible as long as security threats from affiliated groups persist. He made the remarks during a recent meeting with Natalie Baker, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, following a deadly suicide attack on November 11 at the gate of a district court in the capital, which killed 12 people and injured at least 36 others.
Pakistani officials reported that several suspects, believed to be linked to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have been arrested in connection with the attack. Naqvi stated that the attackers had intended to enter the courthouse, but were thwarted by security forces. He added that all perpetrators have been identified and those who assisted them are being aggressively pursued by law enforcement.
Naqvi also emphasized that the presence of Afghan civilians and armed individuals near the border contributes to recurring violence within Pakistan. He said talks would be meaningless unless these threats were addressed, asserting that Pakistan cannot negotiate for peace while its neighbor remains a hub for terrorist activities.
His comments come after a recent round of negotiations between Pakistan and the Taliban administration held two weeks ago in Istanbul, which concluded without any tangible outcomes. During the talks, the Taliban refused to provide written guarantees to prevent affiliated groups from launching attacks on Pakistan from Afghan territory.
In response, the Taliban criticized Islamabad’s demands to curtail groups like TTP operating within Afghanistan as ‘unrealistic’, reinforcing their refusal to take responsibility for terrorist threats originating from Afghan soil.
Many observers have accused the Taliban administration of either tolerating or lacking the ability to control militant groups such as TTP. Pakistan, which has seen a rise in border attacks, has repeatedly voiced its concerns over terrorist groups using Afghan territory as a base for operations.
