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Pakistan-Taliban Rift Explodes at Moscow Talks as Joint Statement Blocked
M
Moneycontrol•05-10-2026, 21:20
Pakistan-Taliban Rift Explodes at Moscow Talks as Joint Statement Blocked
- •The eighth Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan ended without a joint statement due to deep differences between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban over cross-border terrorism.
- •Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi called Pakistan a military regime and accused Islamabad of supporting Daesh during the hostile exchanges.
- •Pakistan raised strong concerns over militant groups like TTP, BLA, and Al-Qaeda operating from Afghan territory, which Kabul firmly rejected.
- •Pakistan's recent military strikes inside Afghanistan further complicated the discussions and added to the rising tensions between the two sides.
- •The failure to issue a joint declaration highlights the deepening rift and adversarial relationship between Islamabad and the Kabul authorities.
Key Questions Answered
The meeting ended without a joint statement because Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban failed to bridge deep differences over cross-border terrorism, various militant groups, and Pakistan's military airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
Islamabad raised serious concerns over the presence and activities of multiple militant groups operating from Afghan territory, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan Liberation Army, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Islamic State Khorasan Province, and Al-Qaeda.
Amid sharp exchanges where Pakistan referred to the authorities in Kabul as a "regime", Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi described Pakistan as a "military regime" and accused Islamabad of supporting Daesh.
