Fiaz Chaudhry
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan is ready to hold talks with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan on reasonable terms as both countries observe a 48-hour temporary ceasefire.
Addressing the federal cabinet meeting on Pak-Afghan border tensions on Thursday, the premier said that now the ball is in the Taliban regime’s court for a permanent ceasefire.
The premier said that the Taliban regime carried out the recent attack on Pakistan at India’s behest. The attacks came when Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on a visit to India.
The Taliban forces and India-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitna al-Khawarij, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on Sunday. The Pakistan Armed Forces gave a befitting response to the aggression, killing over 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants in a self-defence action. The military’s media wing said that 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom in the clashes with the Taliban forces and the terrorists.
Later, at the request of the Afghan Taliban regime, and with mutual consent, Pakistan and the Taliban agreed to a temporary ceasefire for 48 hours, effective from October 15.
Addressing the cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz said: “Unfortunately, despite all efforts, [Taliban regime in] Afghanistan did not prioritise peace and adopted the path of aggression.”
Pakistan had to launch a full-scale retaliatory action as patience had run out after the recent events, he said, while referring to rising incidents of cross-border terrorism.
The premier said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and other officials repeatedly visited Kabul to convey Pakistan’s desire for peace and development in the region.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "KP Assembly seeks Peshawar corps commander’s in-camera briefing on security situation")
