Pakistan’s PM Offers Talks To Afghanistan After Deadly Suicide Attack In Islamabad

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday extended an olive branch to Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, calling for renewed dialogue to curb terrorism and restore stability along the shared border. His offer came just a day after a devastating suicide bombing outside an Islamabad court killed 12 people and injured at least 27 others, reigniting concerns about Pakistan’s escalating security crisis and worsening relations with Kabul.

Addressing parliament in a televised speech, Sharif said Pakistan sought peace for both nations and urged Afghanistan to “rein in terrorism and work together for regional prosperity.” He revealed that Pakistan’s main demand during prior talks in Doha and Istanbul was for Kabul to act against militants operating from its soil. “Afghanistan should realize that what is good for us is good for them,” he said, warning that unfulfilled promises could jeopardize fragile peace efforts. His remarks followed the collapse of peace negotiations last week in Istanbul, raising fears of renewed border clashes.

The Islamabad suicide bombing was the latest in a string of deadly incidents attributed to militants with alleged Afghan ties. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused “Afghan Taliban proxies and Indian-backed elements” of involvement, though he provided no evidence. The attack, claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) before later being denied, underscored the government’s struggle to contain resurgent militancy. Despite intensified operations, insurgents continue to launch high-profile attacks, including Monday night’s assault on an army-run cadet college in Wana that left several dead.

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Officials said four militants attacked the military-run college, attempting to replicate the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, which killed 154 people, most of them children. Quick action by troops prevented further casualties among the more than 600 cadets and staff present. Images aired on local television showed soldiers evacuating students with ladders and breaking dormitory windows to reach those trapped inside. No group has claimed responsibility for the assault, which authorities say was intended to send a “message of defiance” from militants.

The ongoing violence has strained Pakistan’s already fragile ties with Afghanistan. Kabul recently accused Islamabad of conducting drone strikes inside Afghan territory, an allegation Pakistan denies. The hostilities led to deadly border clashes before Qatar intervened to mediate a ceasefire in October. Two subsequent rounds of talks in Istanbul failed after Afghanistan refused to issue written guarantees pledging that its territory would not be used by militants. With militant groups like the TTP gaining strength since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, Pakistan now faces the challenge of balancing regional diplomacy with internal security — a task made even harder as tensions also simmer with neighboring India.

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