Pakistan Ties with Taliban Administration Tied to Action Against TTP

Pakistan has said that any meaningful progress in its relations with the Taliban administration depends on concrete and verifiable action by the group against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other anti-Pakistan groups.

The Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday, 12 September, that Tahir Andrabi, the former spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, raised the issue at his latest press briefing. He said the benchmark for improving ties would be practical action against groups that, according to Pakistani officials, operate from Afghan soil against Pakistan.

Andrabi also said Islamabad welcomes China’s continued engagement on Afghanistan, but said external facilitation cannot replace direct action by the Taliban administration against what he called “terrorist infrastructure.” According to him, Pakistan values China’s constructive and sustained role in Afghan affairs.

He stressed that progress in relations would depend on the Taliban administration taking specific and verifiable action against the TTP and other terrorist organisations. The remarks came as tensions over the activity of armed groups along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have remained a recurring source of dispute between the two sides.