DND Report: A high-level delegation from Pakistan, led by Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif, will hold talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today.
According to an official statement from the Pakistan Foreign Office, the talks will focus on immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and to restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.
The FO statement said Pakistan does not seek escalation but urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the FAK/TTP and FAH/BLA.
Sources in diplomatic circles, speaking to DND News Agency, emphasized that the Doha talks are being held to convey just ONE-POINT agenda from Pakistan to Afghanistan: “Stop supporting Fitna al-Khawarij (official name of TTP terrorists) and cease terrorism inside Pakistan.”
Sources maintain that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership is categorically saying it has had enough after years of engagements with the Afghan Taliban regime to no avail, and will no longer rely on lip service alone; it reserves the right to neutralize the threat then and there, wherever it is emanating from inside Afghanistan.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has lost more than 95,000 lives in the ongoing war against terrorism and is still fighting terrorists with full resolve and determination. Since 2021, Pakistan has used extensive diplomatic and security channels to address Taliban-hosted attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan held 200 border flag meetings with Afghanistan and lodged 800 formal protests; yet incursions persist, with over 1,050 incidents since December 2021 and 3,800 Pakistani casualties. Even during a 48-hour ceasefire demanded by the Afghan Taliban regime, a suicide bombing took place on October 17, killing seven Pakistani soldiers.
In October 2025, Pakistan conducted strikes on Taliban hideouts and operations, killing 88 militants, boosting domestic morale while drawing international scrutiny over civilian casualties in Afghanistan. Thousands of residents in the former tribal areas gathered and lauded the Pakistan Army for delivering a befitting response to the Afghan regime. These residents announced their full support for Pakistan’s operations inside Afghanistan to curb terrorism and urged the government to allow them to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army against the Afghan regime that they say has been bleeding Pakistan since it recaptured Kabul in August 2021.
Meanwhile, several social-media posts show nighttime footage of vehicles evacuating Spin Boldak, an Afghan border town near Pakistan’s Chaman, with Urdu subtitles invoking religious phrases. The posts claim a large gathering of “Kharijite” (extremist) militants from Kandahar is prompting the flight from this historic city, and express confidence in Pakistan’s military response. The posts depict fleeing militants and civilians escaping a potential war between Pakistani forces and the Taliban.
Several senior journalists and writers have lauded Pakistan’s strikes inside Afghanistan to purge terrorism, and they have also voiced support for Pakistan’s mass deportation of Afghan refugees, particularly targeting over 1.7 million undocumented individuals. They argue that the presence of Afghan refugees, especially those without legal status, poses a significant national-security risk to Pakistan; a position echoed by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. He believes some Afghan communities have harboured terrorists, contributing to instability after decades of hosting refugees (over 4 million at peak times since 1979).
Some regional experts claim that Pakistan’s “Ummah” (Islamic brotherhood) mentality has allowed Afghans to exploit the country’s hospitality for more than 40 years, and they say this has been ignored by Pakistani institutions, creating economic and social burdens for Pakistan.
Security experts say deportations of illegal Afghans align with international immigration laws, as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which imposes fines and punishments for overstaying visas similar to policies in European countries.
Television discussions in Pakistan highlight rising anti-Afghan sentiment, exemplified by incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where locals are demanding Afghans’ return. Analysts suggest that decades of cross-border hostility and internal strife, allegedly fuelled by elements within Afghanistan necessitate removal of undocumented residents to preserve Pakistani identity.
When asked to comment, a senior diplomat who oversaw Pak-Afghan relations before his retirement speaking on condition of anonymity said Afghanistan’s continuous physical and material support to the Indian proxy (TTP/Fitna al-Khawarij) is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated. He believes it would be better for Afghanistan and its people to rid themselves of this proxy so relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan can remain productive and mutually beneficial. The Afghan Taliban now has a clear choice: stand with stability or side with forces of instability. “Duplicity is no longer acceptable nor will it be tolerated by Pakistan. Yet attacks against Pakistan continue to erupt from Afghan soil daily. I don’t think there is room for dialogue anymore, nor should any requests for a ceasefire be considered after all these efforts. The government must now decide whether it wants to eliminate this menace or continue bleeding in silence,” he asked.
