Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif said that indirect talks with Taliban are underway through third-party mediators, while warning that military operations could escalate if those efforts fail.
In an interview with a ARY News, Asif said a process of engagement was ongoing but described it as informal and lacking structure.
“In my view, certainly with the advice or involvement of a third party, a process is underway,” he said. “But it is not organized or structured. If these efforts do not succeed, we will return to previous methods.”
Asif declined to provide details about the mediators or the scope of the discussions, saying the process remained at an early stage.
He also suggested that earlier rounds of talks — held in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh — had failed because Taliban representatives were unwilling to provide written guarantees on key issues, including concerns raised by Pakistan about militant groups.
Pakistani officials have long accused the Taliban of harboring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a group responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Taliban have denied those allegations.
Asif said previous negotiations had faltered because Taliban preferred verbal assurances rather than formal commitments, which he said undermined the effectiveness of the talks.
Taliban have not publicly responded to Asif’s latest comments or confirmed the existence of any mediated dialogue, though they have previously called for disputes to be resolved through negotiations.
The remarks come as cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan enter their fifth week, marked by airstrikes, artillery exchanges and clashes along the frontier.
Both sides have claimed heavy casualties in the fighting.
Pakistan declared a temporary ceasefire during the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the request of regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, but violations were reported during the truce.
After the ceasefire expired, Pakistani forces resumed missile strikes along border areas and carried out airstrikes, including one targeting a Taliban military facility in Balkh province, according to local sources.
