Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said that relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan can be restored if the Taliban authorities prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
In an interview with Arab News, Chaudhry said Pakistan’s dispute was not with Afghanistan or the Afghan people but with the Taliban authorities in Kabul. He said Islamabad’s main demand was that militant groups should not be allowed to operate from Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Chaudhry also ruled out negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying Islamabad would not engage in talks with what it considers a terrorist organization. He further said Pakistan reserves the right to act in self-defense if its security concerns are not addressed by Kabul.
The Pakistani military spokesperson also described the Taliban administration as non-inclusive and non-representative, a characterization attributed to him in the Arab News interview.
The Taliban, meanwhile, have repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s allegations that they allow the TTP to use Afghan territory for attacks. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has said that no group would be allowed to use Afghan soil against another country.
The opposing positions come amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border militancy, security operations and recent military exchanges. Both sides have continued to make competing claims about the presence and activities of militant groups.