Pakistan PM says talks with Taliban have failed to yield results

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that all talks held with Taliban authorities have failed to produce results, accusing them of not making serious commitments on Pakistan’s security concerns.

Speaking at a public event, Sharif said Islamabad had repeatedly raised concerns about militant groups operating from Afghanistan’s territory, but had received no firm assurances from the Taliban.

“All the meetings we held led to no outcome,” Sharif said. “Our only demand was that they commit to preventing terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan – whether the Pakistani Taliban, the Balochistan Liberation Army, or other groups that receive support from India. Unfortunately, they have not given any serious commitment.”

Pakistan has long accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups of using Afghanistan’s territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, allegations the Taliban deny.

Sharif also referred to the closure of trade routes between the two countries, saying Pakistan had been forced into the move and urging the Taliban to show compassion toward their own population.

“This disruption in trade should not have happened, but we were compelled to take this step,” he said, adding that Pakistan had previously released Afghan-linked detainees under international agreements.

Sharif said a decision now had to be made on whether Afghanistan’s rulers genuinely sought peaceful relations with their neighbours.

“Afghanistan is a brotherly nation,” he said. “If the interim Afghan government is not interested in peace, it should at least show mercy to its own people.”

Pakistan and the Taliban have held multiple rounds of talks in Doha, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, with Pakistan pressing for action against the TTP.

While the Taliban deny the presence of the group in Afghanistan, a United Nations monitoring report has said the TTP has around 6,000 fighters based in the country.