Lahore, April 6 Pakistan has demanded that Afghanistan formally declare the TTP as a terrorist organization and dismantle its infrastructure as a precondition to resolving the ongoing border conflict between the two countries, local media reported on Monday.
Islamabad put forward three core demands last week during a meeting between representatives of Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in the Chinese city of Urumqi, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The China-facilitated talks are the first major diplomatic engagement between the two neighbors since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in late February to target terrorist "hideouts" in Afghanistan.
"The three demands put forward by Islamabad include Kabul formally declaring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) a terrorist organization, dismantling its infrastructure, and providing verifiable proof of the action," the report said, quoting sources.
These demands form the basis of Pakistan's negotiating position, which has hardened amid persistent security concerns, the sources said.
According to the report, a framework is under discussion that could pave the way for a possible understanding between the two sides. It includes a "ceasefire arrangement, counterterrorism assurances from the Afghan Taliban, dismantling of terror sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, and measures to facilitate secure trade routes".
It also envisages the establishment of a more structured and institutionalised dialogue mechanism between Islamabad and Kabul, as both sides have sent technical-level delegations to Urumqi, reflecting the operational nature of the discussions.
The conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan has intensified in recent months over Islamabad's allegations of Kabul harboring the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants.
Afghanistan consistently denied and asked Pakistan to take action, asserting that these groups are active in Pakistani provinces.
On Sunday, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi acknowledged the dialogue was still underway and that the Taliban regime wanted to resolve issues with Pakistan through talks.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad's participation in the talks should not be construed as a shift in policy, particularly regarding ongoing security operations.
"The way forward lies in continuing the dialogue process with the Afghan Taliban, with the involvement of friends such as China, to get firm assurances from Kabul that it will take visible and verifiable actions,” he said.
According to the sources, Pakistan also made it clear that the scope of the talks will remain limited to counter-terrorism and border security, ruling out any broader political engagement at this stage.
Quoting a government official, the report said the Afghan Taliban had approached China to help engage Pakistan in negotiations, and Beijing reiterated the need to resolve the dispute peacefully.
"Although no breakthrough has been achieved in Urumqi so far, but both sides are at least talking which is significant and this process should be taken forward," he said.
The Taliban have reportedly agreed to discuss a “verifiable mechanism” to address the TTP issue. China had similarly raised concerns about the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), whose fighters are believed to have a presence on Afghan soil.
As a confidence-building measure, Pakistan is said to be considering the Afghan request of reopening trade routes and resuming economic cooperation.
"The focus is on addressing Islamabad's concerns over terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory and ensuring mechanisms to prevent cross-border attacks," the official said.
The choice of Urumqi as the venue is seen as significant, given its location in China's Xinjiang region, where Beijing has longstanding concerns about militancy linked to groups such as the ETIM.
The talks represent a cautious but important effort to stabilise Pakistan-Afghanistan ties, though major differences remain and any breakthrough will depend on Kabul's willingness to address Islamabad's core security demands, the report quoted sources as saying.