Pakistan has issued a “final message” to the Afghan Taliban leadership: comply with its security demands and pursue reconciliation, or face Islamabad’s support for alternative political forces capable of challenging the regime in Kabul, according to a News18 report.
Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have begun re-establishing contact with key Afghan political and opposition leaders, among them former presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, National Resistance Front leader Ahmad Massoud, ex–vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum, as well as figures aligned with the Afghanistan Freedom Front and remnants of the former Northern Alliance.
The ultimatum, conveyed through Turkish mediators, follows months of stalled negotiations and growing frustration in Islamabad over the Taliban’s refusal to rein in Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and stop cross-border attacks.
The development comes shortly after Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India, a diplomatic outreach that Pakistani officials reportedly view as a strategic shift away from Islamabad.
With ties deteriorating, Pakistan now sees the Taliban government’s stance as both a security threat and a geopolitical setback. Consequently, officials have begun exploring closer engagement with anti-Taliban political figures and resistance networks, both within Afghanistan and abroad.
What has Pakistan offered to the Taliban?
Islamabad has signaled it is willing to provide political room, security guarantees, and even office space inside Pakistan for Afghan opposition figures, a move that suggests preparations for a more coordinated anti-Taliban bloc.
According to the report, these assurances are also being extended to exiled Afghan women leaders, civil society activists, and pro-democracy groups who continue to call for an inclusive and representative political system in Afghanistan, whether through a Loya Jirga or future elections.
What are Pakistan's demands?
Despite three rounds of negotiations, first facilitated by Qatar and later by Turkey, talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have stalled, with no breakthrough in sight. A tentative ceasefire arrangement discussed in the earlier stages has also not progressed following the unsuccessful round in Istanbul.
Throughout the process, Islamabad has kept its core expectations unchanged. Pakistan has sought decisive action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the transfer of key militant figures wanted for major attacks, clear assurances to prevent further escalation along the Durand Line, and the establishment of a limited buffer zone to curb cross-border militant movement. Additionally, Pakistan has pressed for improved trade ties and broader bilateral cooperation as part of the overall security framework.
Kabul's stance
However, Afghanistan’s Taliban government has pushed back against these demands, particularly the proposals concerning the handover of TTP militants and the creation of a buffer zone near the border. Islamabad sees this resistance as untenable, especially amid a surge in militant strikes on its troops and installations.
Pakistan’s latest outreach to anti-Taliban political forces represents its most significant strategic shift since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Officials say the move is driven by security imperatives and the need to protect regional stability.
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