Ball in Taliban's court: Shehbaz Sharif ready for talks on legitimate conditions

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan is ready to engage in dialogue with Afghanistan, but only under "legitimate and mutually respectful conditions," following some of the most violent border clashes between the two nations in decades.

Sharif’s comments came during a cabinet meeting in Islamabad, a day after both countries agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire that has largely held since it came into effect on Wednesday. The truce, requested by both sides at different points, brought a temporary halt to intense cross-border fighting and airstrikes that left dozens dead and hundreds injured.

"We are ready to engage in dialogue with Afghanistan under legitimate conditions," Sharif said. "We told our brotherly neighbour that we seek peace through mutual consultation and cooperation."

According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least 18 civilians were killed and more than 360 injured in the week-long hostilities that began on October 10. Pakistan, meanwhile, said its forces had killed 34 militants in three separate operations targeting what it described as "terrorist hideouts" along the frontier.

BALL IN AFGHAN COURT, SAYS SHARIF

Sharif accused Kabul of failing to control militant groups operating from Afghan soil and warned that the ceasefire must not be used as a delaying tactic.

"If they want to talk on our valid conditions and want to resolve through dialogue, we are ready for that," he said. "This message has been given to them yesterday. Now the ball is in their court. If this ceasefire is done just to buy time, we will not accept it."

The prime minister said Islamabad had exercised patience despite repeated provocations. "Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan did not prioritise peace and adopted the path of aggression," he said, adding that Pakistan was forced to retaliate after terrorist attacks killed civilians and security personnel.

Sharif also alleged that the escalation occurred "at India’s behest," stressing that Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was in New Delhi when the attacks began.

He said Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during a recent meeting in Egypt, condemned the violence and expressed willingness to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul.

KABUL WANTS 'RESPECT AND SOVEREIGNTY'

There was no immediate official response from Kabul to Sharif’s remarks. However, Afghan defence ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi confirmed that the ceasefire was "holding so far."

Separately, Afghanistan’s Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, in talks with Iranian officials, said Kabul wanted good relations with all its neighbours. "Just as we respect the sovereignty and dignity of others, we expect the same goodwill and respect toward us," the statement quoted Haqqani as saying.

The Taliban administration denies Pakistan’s claims that militant groups operate from Afghan territory. Kabul has accused Islamabad of "spreading misinformation" and sheltering ISIS-linked fighters to destabilise Afghanistan. Pakistan rejects the accusation.

Sharif said high-level officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, had travelled to Kabul multiple times to push for peace.

He reiterated that Pakistan’s priority is to prevent further escalation and seek dialogue, but only if Afghanistan shows sincerity. "Pakistan desires peace through mutual consultation and cooperation, not confrontation," he said.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies

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