Taliban have denied a claim made by Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, that Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attempted to contact him six times in a single day earlier this week.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected Dar’s remarks, which were made during a session of Pakistan’s parliament on Tuesday. During that session, Dar claimed that Muttaqi had reached out to him repeatedly by phone on Monday.
Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban’s foreign ministry, described the claim as inaccurate. “The first phone call between the two sides was made in the spirit of mutual coordination,” he said. “Minister Dar stated that he was not fully informed of the situation and would call back. Based on that, the second call was placed. The following day, Dar tried to reconnect, but due to various reasons, communication did not take place.”
The Taliban urged Pakistani officials to present facts accurately, particularly during a sensitive period of diplomacy. “The Islamic Emirate has always tried to engage with neighboring countries on the basis of respect, understanding, and positive relations,” the statement said.
The diplomatic exchange comes as both sides prepare for a third round of high-level talks in Istanbul on Thursday. The Taliban delegation is being led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the Taliban’s intelligence chief, while Pakistan’s delegation is expected to be headed by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt. Gen. Asim Munir. However, Pakistani authorities have not officially confirmed delegation details.
Dar told lawmakers that in his phone conversations with Muttaqi, he reiterated Pakistan’s core demand: that Afghan territory must not be used for cross-border attacks against Pakistan.
The upcoming meeting in Istanbul follows two earlier rounds of talks that ended without a breakthrough, as tensions between the Taliban and Islamabad remain high over increased militant activity along the shared border and accusations of harboring insurgents.
