Pakistan Rules Out Any Shift in Afghan Policy Towards Taliban

Islamabad (GNP): Pakistan has firmly rejected speculation that it is reconsidering its policy towards Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, with official sources making clear that recent diplomatic developments do not signal any change in Islamabad’s position.

The speculation had gathered pace following reports that acting Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani offered to hold talks with Pakistan, alongside suggestions that a joint mechanism could be established to address outstanding issues between the two countries.

Adding to the speculation was an invitation extended to Afghanistan’s ambassador in Islamabad to speak at the National Defence University (NDU).

Official sources told The Express Tribune that neither development should be read as a shift in policy, dismissing the NDU invitation in particular as evidence of any move towards political engagement with the Taliban government.

The sources noted that interactions between foreign diplomats and Pakistani academic and defence institutions are not unprecedented, pointing out that India’s high commissioner had previously received a similar invitation to the NDU, which suggests such engagements should not automatically be interpreted through a foreign policy lens.

The Afghan envoy’s appearance nonetheless became controversial after he was said to have violated the ground rules governing the interaction by publicly commenting on what were understood to be off-the-record discussions. Sources said the disclosure angered concerned authorities, who viewed it as a breach of the understanding under which the engagement had taken place.

At the Foreign Office’s latest weekly briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi sought to downplay the episode, describing the invitation as routine academic interaction and reiterating that it did not represent any change in policy towards the Taliban authorities in Kabul.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that meaningful engagement with the Taliban government cannot resume unless Kabul takes concrete and verifiable action against banned terrorist groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says operates from Afghan territory to plan and carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

This issue of terrorist sanctuaries remains the central source of friction between the two neighbours, with Islamabad repeatedly conveying to Kabul that assurances alone are insufficient and that demonstrable action is required against groups it holds responsible for attacks on Pakistani soil.

The Pakistani position extends beyond the TTP to other groups operating from Afghan territory, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and officials said there is currently no indication of Pakistan abandoning this stance or opening a fresh political track with the Taliban.

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Amid this standoff, China has continued exploring diplomatic options to ease tensions between the two countries. Chinese Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong recently visited Islamabad for talks on the regional situation and Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, part of Beijing’s broader effort to review the possibility of reviving the Urumqi process, a Chinese initiative aimed at easing bilateral friction.

Officials and diplomatic sources, however, remain cautious about the prospects of an early revival, given how significantly the deterioration in ties, particularly over the TTP issue, has narrowed the space for diplomatic initiatives.

Pakistan appears set to keep limited institutional and diplomatic channels open while withholding substantive engagement with Kabul until it sees concrete action on the ground, with officials insisting that any future policy shift will depend on developments in the field rather than isolated diplomatic or academic interactions.

Tahir Andrabi said, “Such engagements are routine academic interaction and do not represent a policy change towards the Taliban authorities.”