Tarar Urges Afghan Government to Move Away from ‘Militant Mindset’

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has called on Afghanistan’s interim government to move away from what he described as a “militant mindset” to help resolve ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Speaking at a seminar in Islamabad on Afghanistan and prospects for peace, Tarar described the situation as a complex problem requiring a long-term and sustainable solution.

“The interim Afghan government needs to move out of its militant mindset into a mindset of a statesman or state,” Tarar said.

He noted that Pakistan and Afghanistan would remain neighbours and share international borders, historical links and other connections. However, he said relations between the two countries had faced repeated difficulties.

Pakistan Seeks Peaceful Coexistence

Tarar said Pakistan believed in peace and peaceful coexistence but questioned whether both sides had demonstrated sufficient willingness to achieve it.

He said Pakistan had made several attempts to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue. According to the minister, Pakistani delegations had visited Afghanistan, while countries including Qatar, Türkiye and China had hosted talks between Islamabad and Kabul.

Tarar said Pakistan had repeatedly raised concerns over the alleged use of Afghan territory for terrorist activities. He added that Pakistan had responded to such attacks through strikes targeting terrorists.

The minister identified violent extremism and militancy as the key unresolved issues between the two countries.

He also alleged that terrorist groups and internationally proscribed organisations continued to maintain safe havens in Afghanistan. Tarar said Pakistan had raised the issue with Kabul.

“Peace has to be achieved through a viable and sustainable model,” he said, stressing that peaceful coexistence required both sides to follow a “live and let live” approach.

Tarar added that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be interpreted as weakness.

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Tarar Raises Human Rights Concerns

The information minister also criticised the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

He alleged that certain segments of Afghan society faced restrictions on their fundamental rights. Tarar also criticised what he described as the Afghan Taliban’s interpretation of Islam.

He said Afghanistan faced two major forms of denial: denial of the terrorism problem and alleged terrorist sanctuaries, as well as denial of basic rights to sections of the population.

Tarar said peace could help reduce the disconnect between the Afghan population and the interim government.

He also highlighted Afghanistan’s economic potential. According to Tarar, improved security could support trade routes connecting Central Asia with Pakistan through Afghanistan.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions

Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban administration to take action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, particularly the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

A UN Security Council-mandated monitoring report covering December 16, 2025, to June 9, 2026, said continued Taliban support for the TTP had contributed to an increase in the frequency and lethality of attacks in Pakistan. The report also noted some initial steps by Kabul to restrict the group.

Tensions escalated further in September following attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and subsequent military exchanges along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Pakistan later said it carried out calibrated airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan. The government also reported intercepting drones that entered Pakistani airspace.

The latest developments have added to the strain in relations between Islamabad and Kabul, while Pakistani officials continue to call for measures against militant groups operating from Afghan territory.