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AFTER ISTANBUL TALKS, KABUL OBLIGED TO ACT AGAINST TERROR FROM ITS SOIL: TARAR Monday, 3 November, 2025 | 11 Jamadiul Awwal, 1447
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Rs 50.00 | Vol XVI No 117 | 48 Pages | Islamabad Edition
g g SAYS NOW AFGHAN JOINT MONITORING AND INFORMATION MINISTER TALIBAN WILL HAVE TO ACT, VERIFICATION MECHANISM TO SAYS TALKS IN ISTANBUL IF THEY DO NOT, THEY WILL REVIEW EVIDENCE, PENALIZE YIELD CEASEFIRE, JOINT CEASEFIRE VIOLATORS VERIFICATION FRAMEWORK FACE CONSEQUENCES
Defense czar reaffirms decisive measures against cross-border terror ISLAMABAD
staff report
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ISLAMABAD
staff report
NFORMATION Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that with the establishment of a joint monitoring and verification mechanism, the onus now lies on Kabul to take decisive action against terrorists operating from Afghan soil. “The onus is on the Afghan regime because their soil is being used for terrorism in Pakistan by Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan,” Tarar said. “For Pakistan, this will be an additional forum to provide evidence—and the Afghan Taliban regime will have to act. If they
do not, they will face consequences.” Speaking on a private TV channel, Tarar said the mechanism—discussed during the recent Istanbul talks—would allow both sides to review recent security developments and frame modalities for joint verification of terror incidents. The second round of discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations began in Istanbul on October 25, following days of border hostilities. Islamabad’s longstanding concerns over cross-border terrorism remained the key sticking point, causing a temporary stalemate until Türkiye and Qatar intervened to revive the dialogue. A breakthrough came after Pak-
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to take decisive action against crossborder terrorism to safeguard its citizens, asserting that the “unrepresentative Afghan Taliban regime” is deeply fractured and increasingly reliant on external elements. In a statement posted on X, the defense minister strongly reacted to what he termed a “misleading and malicious” statement by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson, stressing that the Pakistani nation—along with its political and military leadership—stands united on matters of national security and policy toward Afghanistan. He said the people of Pakistan, particularly those in Khyber istan’s announcement on October 29 that the talks had “failed” and that its team was preparing to return home. The discussions ultimately yielded a three-point understanding — continuation of the ceasefire, creation of a monitoring and verification mechanism, and penalties for violations. Operational details will be finalised when senior representatives, or “principals,” from both sides meet again in Istanbul on November 6.
Pakhtunkhwa, are well aware of the terrorism carried out by Indian-backed proxies operating under the patronage of the Afghan Taliban. “There is no ambiguity,” Asif said, adding that the Taliban regime continues to oppress women, children, and minorities while depriving the Afghan public of fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, education, and representation. “Despite the passage of four years, the Afghan Taliban have failed to fulfill the promises made to the international community,” he continued. “They are merely spinning narratives and using rhetoric to conceal their internal divisions and governance failures while acting as a proxy for external elements— particularly India.”
Tarar reiterated that Fitna alKhawarij refers to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al-Hindustan denotes Balochistan-based groups allegedly supported by India. When asked whether Pakistan would respond militarily to future attacks once the mechanism is in place, Tarar said:
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Dar heads to Istanbul as Arab-Islamic bloc meets on Gaza peace deal today: FO
irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk
ISLAMABAD
staff report
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will leave for Istanbul on Monday (tomorrow) to attend the Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers, where discussions will focus on ensuring the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday. “At the invitation of the Turkish foreign minister, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will undertake a one-day visit to Istanbul on November 3, 2025, to attend the Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers,” the FO statement said. It recalled that Pakistan, along with seven other Arab and Islamic countries, had been actively engaged with the peace initiative that culminated in the signing of the Gaza Peace Agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh. Hamas and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement on October 9, agreeing to release Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners—the first phase of United States President Donald Trump’s initiative aimed at ending the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. Pakistan was among eight Muslim countries—including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt—that worked with the Trump administration on the plan to halt Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza. However, despite the deal, Tel Aviv has resumed attacks on the besieged territory. On Friday, Israeli forces bombed Gaza for a fourth consecutive day, killing three people.