Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban’s claim about terrorists' deportation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected the Afghan Taliban’s claim that Islamabad refused Kabul’s offer to deport terrorists operating against Pakistan, terming the assertion “false and misleading.”

In a statement issued on X, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Pakistan “categorically rejects the deliberate twisting of facts” attributed to Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid regarding the recent Istanbul talks.

“Pakistan had demanded that terrorists present in Afghanistan who pose a threat to Pakistan be controlled or arrested,” the ministry said.

“When the Afghan side claimed these individuals were Pakistani nationals, Pakistan immediately proposed that they be handed over through designated border crossings, in line with our long-standing position. Any claim to the contrary is baseless and misleading,” the statement added.

Afghan media quoted Zabihullah Mujahid as saying that during the Istanbul negotiations, the Afghan side had offered to deport people Islamabad considers a security threat, but Pakistan “did not accept the offer” and instead requested that the Islamic Emirate to rein in these people within Afghanistan.

The remarks come as both countries agreed to continue the ceasefire, with the next round of talks scheduled for November 6, 2025, to finalize implementation mechanisms, according to a joint statement released after the Istanbul meeting.

The negotiations, held in Istanbul from October 25 to 30, 2025, were mediated by Türkiye and Qatar. Delegations from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Qatar met to consolidate the ceasefire that had been agreed upon in Doha on October 18–19, 2025.

“All parties have agreed on the continuation of the ceasefire,” the statement said. “Further modalities for its implementation will be discussed and decided in a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6, 2025.”

It added that all parties agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the maintenance of peace and impose penalties on any violating side.