Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan is ready to hold talks with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan on reasonable terms as both countries observe a 48-hour temporary ceasefire.
Addressing the federal cabinet meeting on Pak-Afghan border tensions on Thursday, the premier said that now the ball is in the Taliban regime's court for a permanent ceasefire.
The premier said that the Taliban regime carried out the recent attack on Pakistan at India’s behest. The attacks came when Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on a visit to India.
The Taliban forces and India-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitna al-Khawarij, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on Sunday. The Pakistan Armed Forces gave a befitting response to the aggression, killing over 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants in a self-defence action. The military's media wing said that 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom in the clashes with the Taliban forces and the terrorists.
Later, at the request of the Afghan Taliban regime, and with mutual consent, Pakistan and the Taliban agreed to a temporary ceasefire for 48 hours, effective from October 15.
Addressing the cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz said: “Unfortunately, despite all efforts, [Taliban regime in] Afghanistan did not prioritise peace and adopted the path of aggression.”
Pakistan had to launch a full-scale retaliatory action as patience had run out after the recent events, he said, while referring to rising incidents of cross-border terrorism.
The premier said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and other officials repeatedly visited Kabul to convey Pakistan’s desire for peace and development in the region.
Islamabad and Kabul are witnessing heightened tensions amid the interim Afghan government's reluctance to act against terrorist groups, operating from Afghan soil, in the backdrop of rising terror attacks in Pakistan.
The country has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan.
The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points, which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.
However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the TTP to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.
Islamabad’s reservations have also been confirmed by a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has revealed a nexus between Kabul and the TTP, with the former providing logistical, operational, and financial support to the latter.
Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than four decades, from the Soviet invasion through the Taliban takeover in 2021. Some refugees were born and raised in Pakistan; others are still waiting for third-country relocation.
According to media reports, following a 2023 crackdown on undocumented Afghans and those exceeding legal status, more than 554,000 Afghans have been returned since April 2025 under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan — including around 145,000 in August.