Islamabad Says Kabul Clerics’ Gathering Not Enough, Seeks Formal Assurance from Mullah Hibatullah

Islamabad says the Kabul clerics’ gathering is insufficient to address cross-border militancy, insisting on a formal written guarantee from Mullah Hibatullah to curb attacks from TTP.

Pakistan says it has not yet received the official resolution issued by Taliban-aligned clerics who gathered in Kabul this week, despite calling the meeting a potentially positive step for counterterrorism. Islamabad reiterated that it still expects written guarantees from the Taliban leadership and Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Nearly 1,000 pro-Taliban clerics from across Afghanistan convened in Kabul on Wednesday, declaring that no Afghan should fight outside the country and urging the Taliban to prevent individuals from joining any external conflicts.

Pakistan, however, maintains that TTP fighters continue to launch attacks against its police and military from Afghanistan soil. Islamabad has repeatedly pressed the Taliban to provide firm commitments and verifiable assurances that these cross-border attacks will stop.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andarabi said Pakistan welcomes anti-terror statements from Kabul but will assess them only after receiving an official copy of the clerics’ resolution. He emphasized that long-term stability requires a formal written pledge from the Taliban leadership.

Tensions surfaced again after Taliban negotiator Rahmatullah Najeeb said Pakistan had sought a fatwa from Hibatullah against fighting in Pakistan. The Taliban delegation responded that Hibatullah does not issue fatwas on demand and that any request must go through the Darul Ifta.

Islamabad noted that similar demands during earlier talks in Istanbul and Doha also failed, as the Taliban refused to sign any formal commitments. Meanwhile, Pakistan said it cannot rule out the possibility of India supplying weapons to armed groups in Afghanistan, a claim Islamabad has made repeatedly while accusing New Delhi of backing the TTP.

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