ISLAMABAD: Official sources on Tuesday firmly dismissed circulating reports that a three-member Pakistani delegation was engaged in talks with the Afghan Taliban in Kabul, labelling such claims as baseless Afghan propaganda spread through social media.
The categorical rejection arrived against the backdrop of escalating military tensions along the Durand Line and Pakistan’s ongoing counter-terrorism operation launched in late February.
Sources described the rumours — including a report by Afghanistan-based Tolo News citing an anonymous source — as deliberate misinformation designed to sow confusion during a phase of active Pakistani military response.
Pakistan’s position remains unchanged and non-negotiable: no dialogue with the Afghan Taliban regime will take place until Kabul demonstrates decisive, verifiable action to eliminate sanctuaries and support networks for Fitna-al-Khawarij.
The term Fitna-al-Khawarij is the official designation used by Pakistani authorities for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad accuses of enjoying safe havens and tacit backing from elements within the Taliban-led Afghan government.
Sources stressed that until concrete steps are taken to dismantle these cross-border militant infrastructure and stop facilitation of attacks inside Pakistan, Islamabad will maintain its current posture of targeted operations inside Afghan territory.
Operation Ghazab lil-Haq — launched on February 26 following repeated incidents of unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces — continues to target militant positions and associated infrastructure across multiple Afghan provinces.
Security officials report that the operation has already produced significant results, with air and ground strikes hitting targets in Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, Kandahar, Paktia and even areas near Kabul.
Briefings provided by information authorities indicate that hundreds of Afghan Taliban-linked fighters have been neutralised since the campaign began, alongside the destruction of numerous militant checkposts and hideouts.
In one detailed update, officials stated that 464 fighters had been eliminated, 188 posts destroyed and several others captured, reflecting the scale and intensity of the retaliatory measures.
The operation spans key border sectors in Pakistan including North and South Waziristan, Khyber, Bajaur and adjoining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where cross-border militant activity has surged in recent years.
Since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a marked resurgence in TTP-orchestrated attacks, which officials attribute directly to the group’s ability to regroup and operate from Afghan soil.
Previous diplomatic initiatives — including multiple rounds of talks hosted in Doha, Istanbul, Riyadh and other capitals — have consistently failed to yield results, primarily because of Kabul’s reluctance to act against TTP sanctuaries.
Pakistan has repeatedly clarified that it deals only with the Afghan state apparatus and not with designated terrorist organisations such as the TTP, while accusing the Taliban regime of prioritising a “war economy” over regional stability.
The swift dismissal of the latest delegation rumours underscores Islamabad’s red line: military pressure will persist in the absence of meaningful concessions and verifiable action from Kabul.
Analysts tracking the bilateral relationship note that disputes over the Durand Line, combined with persistent militant cross-border flows, have brought ties to one of their lowest points in recent history.
International actors have issued calls for de-escalation and dialogue, yet Pakistani authorities insist that their operations remain defensive, proportionate and essential for safeguarding national security.
As Operation Ghazab lil-Haq proceeds, security sources affirm that the campaign will continue until its core objectives are met: neutralisation of immediate terrorist threats and compulsion of decisive measures by the Afghan side against Fitna-al-Khawarij networks.
The debunked reports of secret talks highlight the parallel dimension of information warfare in the standoff, where propaganda narratives seek to erode public and international support for Pakistan’s position.
Resolution of the crisis ultimately depends on the Afghan Taliban fulfilling long-standing demands to dismantle terrorist infrastructure operating from its territory — a condition that Pakistani officials show no indication of relaxing.