Taliban Pakistan dialogue remains a key priority for the Afghan side, according to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. He stated that Afghanistan wants to keep talking and working with Pakistan so that unresolved issues between the two neighbours can be settled. Speaking to Al Arabiya, Mujahid welcomed mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and other countries aimed at reducing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. He said Saudi Arabia can play a positive role in helping both sides find a way forward. The Afghan people hold the kingdom and the two Holy Mosques in high regard, he added, showing deep respect for Saudi Arabia. Mujahid repeated that Kabul is ready to stay engaged with Pakistan and respects Saudi decisions regarding facilitation of talks. His comments came only days after Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told the same channel that Islamabad wants an end to terrorism and interference from Afghan territory. The ISPR director-general said the Taliban authorities are allowing their soil to be used for recruiting, training, arming and launching terrorist attacks against Pakistan and the wider region. Referring to a recent United Nations report, he noted that dozens of terrorist groups continue to operate from Afghanistan. He warned that Afghanistan must not become the terrorist centre of the world. Pakistan, he stressed, reserves the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and will take all necessary steps to protect its citizens. The military will also continue its long-running counter-terrorism campaign. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in cross-border attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Islamabad has repeatedly asked Kabul to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory to strike inside Pakistan. The Afghan side has rejected these accusations. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 and the launch of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026, major differences remain. Multiple rounds of talks have so far failed to resolve the core issue of militant groups operating from Afghan soil. Mujahid’s latest remarks show that Kabul still prefers dialogue, yet Pakistan continues to demand concrete action against terrorism before real progress can be made.
