By The South Asia Times

Islamabad — Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday rejected what it called the “deliberate twisting of facts” attributed to an Afghan Taliban spokesperson regarding discussions held during the recent Istanbul talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the ministry said Pakistan had demanded that terrorists based in Afghanistan who pose a threat to Pakistan be controlled or arrested by the Afghan authorities.

The clarification came after Ariana News reported remarks by Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who claimed that during the talks, the Islamic Emirate had offered to deport individuals Islamabad considered security threats, but that Pakistan declined the offer, instead asking Kabul to control such people within Afghanistan.

The Pakistani ministry rejected this interpretation, emphasizing that Islamabad’s stance remained consistent — that Afghan soil must not be used against Pakistan, and that terrorists responsible for cross-border attacks must be either neutralized or handed over.

The Istanbul talks, facilitated by Türkiye, were the latest in a series of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and improving border security cooperation between the two neighbours.

Pakistan reiterated that it remains committed to working with Afghanistan “in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation” but expects Kabul to take concrete action against groups using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan.