Pakistan US Taliban Talks Get FO Backing
The Pakistan US Taliban talks question moved a step forward on Sunday, when the Foreign Office said Pakistan would welcome sincere efforts by the United States and other friendly countries to facilitate dialogue with Afghanistan. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan set one clear condition: Kabul must take verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan soil.
Khan told Independent Urdu that any meaningful engagement must rest on a clear commitment by the Afghan Taliban authorities to take concrete, sustained and verifiable action against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, the Balochistan Liberation Army and other groups that Pakistan describes as terrorist organisations. Pakistan Today reported his remarks on November 1.
Pakistan US Taliban talks: what Islamabad will accept
The Foreign Office position is open but conditional. Khan said Pakistan remains open to constructive engagement, provided it leads to tangible outcomes that address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns. In plain terms, talks are welcome, but talks alone are not enough. Kabul must show action that can be checked, not only assurances.
The groups named in the statement matter. The TTP and the BLA are the two groups Islamabad most often cites in cross-border attacks. The statement also named Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan, the official labels used for the TTP and BLA networks. By naming them, the Foreign Office set a test that any future dialogue can be judged against: action against these groups, sustained over time, and open to verification.
Pakistan says around 4,700 of its nationals have been killed over the past three years in militant attacks originating from Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegations and says Afghan soil is not used against any country, in particular neighbouring states. That denial is part of the record, and it shows why verification has become the central word in Islamabad’s position.
How the US offer came about
The Foreign Office response followed remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, October 31. Rubio said Washington had heard Pakistan’s concerns about attacks sponsored from Afghan territory, and that if there was a productive role for the United States to play, it would play it.
Feature Pakistan has already reported on the Rubio terrorism concerns report, on Rubio hearing Pakistan’s case at the same meeting. The new step is Islamabad’s answer: yes to facilitation, but only with verifiable action first. No date, venue or format for talks has been agreed, and Washington has not said whether it will formally take on the role of facilitator.
The information ministry added a separate point on Saturday. It said the Afghan government’s refusal to address cross-border terrorism remained the principal obstacle to restoring normal relations between Islamabad and Kabul. That statement came in response to a video message by Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who said efforts by mediating countries and Kabul had failed to resolve tensions.
What happens next
Three questions will decide whether this opening leads anywhere. First, will Washington move from a general offer to a formal role, with a plan and a timetable. Second, will Kabul accept US facilitation at all, and will it offer action that Islamabad can verify. Third, will the two sides agree on what counts as verification, since that word can mean very different things to each side.
What did the Foreign Office say on Sunday?
It said Pakistan would welcome sincere efforts by the United States and other friendly countries to facilitate dialogue with Afghanistan, provided Kabul takes verifiable action against militant groups.
What does verifiable action mean in this statement?
It means a clear commitment by Kabul to take concrete, sustained action against the TTP, the BLA and other groups, in a way that can be checked rather than only promised.
What prompted the Foreign Office response?
Remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta on October 31, when he said Washington would play a productive role if one existed.
Has a meeting been agreed?
No. No date, venue or format for talks has been agreed, and Washington has not said whether it will formally act as facilitator.
What is Kabul’s position?
Kabul denies that Afghan soil is used for attacks against Pakistan, and it rejects Pakistan’s allegations about militant sanctuaries.
