Defense Minister, ISI Chief lead Pakistan in Doha Talks with Taliban amid Border Tensions
ISLAMABAD/KABUL – Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government locked horns in high-stakes talks in Doha, as tensions on the volatile Durand Line reach a breaking point.
As per avaiable informatio, Pakistan’s squad led by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and joined by ISI Chief Lt. Gen. Asim Malik and the National Security Adviser is holding intense negotiations with senior Taliban delegation headed by Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban regime’s Defense Minister, and its Intelligence Chief Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq.
The talks are being held under tight Qatari mediation, and come just hours after deadly cross-border skirmishes that prompted both nations to announce a temporary ceasefire until the end of negotiations.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said talks center on terror attacks inside Pakistan allegedly launched from Afghan territory and on restoring calm along the tense frontier.
“Pakistan seeks peace, not conflict,” the statement said, but added that Islamabad demands Taliban honor their global commitments and take decisive action against TTP and BLA terrorists operating from Afghan soil.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of airstrikes on civilian areas in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, claiming “several civilian deaths and injuries.” “Afghanistan’s sovereignty has been violated,” Mujahid warned on social media platform X, vowing that the Taliban reserve the right to retaliate.
As Qatar plays peacemaker, analysts say the outcome of these talks could reshape the security landscape of South Asia, determining whether the two uneasy neighbors head toward reconciliation or renewed confrontation.
