Pakistan confirms security talks with Taliban held in Saudi Arabia

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that security talks with the Taliban were held in Saudi Arabia, but added that the discussions have yet to produce tangible results.

Speaking at a year-end news conference, Dar said the Saudi-hosted talks were similar to earlier rounds held in Qatar and Turkey and had failed to ease tensions or lead to a concrete agreement.

“The outcome has so far not met Pakistan’s expectations,” he said.

Dar welcomed a recent religious ruling by Afghan clerics declaring armed conflict outside Afghanistan’s borders impermissible, calling it a positive step. He also praised comments by Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani that Afghanistan’s territory would not be used against other countries.

However, Dar said attacks originating from Afghanistan were continuing despite such assurances.

“Every week, we are burying our soldiers in the north,” he said, underscoring what he described as serious security concerns for Pakistan.

The comments come after border tensions between Pakistani forces and the Taliban escalated in November, with both sides accusing each other of violating border agreements and facilitating cross-border attacks.

Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions have intensified since then, officials say.

Prior to the Saudi talks, Pakistan and Taliban representatives held several rounds of discussions in Doha and Istanbul, but those meetings also failed to produce a lasting framework for security cooperation.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly blamed a surge in militant attacks on Afghanistan’s soil, particularly by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), for the deterioration in relations and heightened security pressure along the shared border.