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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday ruled out the resumption of bilateral and transit trade with Afghanistan until the border security situation improves between the two neighbors, even as it expressed cautious optimism about the ongoing peace efforts and upcoming round of talks in Istanbul.

Addressing a media briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan has been engaging with the Taliban regime through diplomatic channels, citing the Oct. 18 Doha talks and the next round of negotiations scheduled to be held in Istanbul starting tomorrow.

Pakistan closed its key northwestern Torkham and southwestern Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan earlier this month, after deadly clashes between the two countries heightened tensions before a ceasefire was agreed.

“Till the evaluation of the security situation, the [Afghan] transit trade will remain closed,” Andrabi said, adding that Pakistan’s priority was the safety of its citizens and soldiers, not trade, at this stage.

As a landlocked nation, Afghanistan depends on neighboring states for trade to sustain its economy, with Kabul’s transit trade agreement with Pakistan the most vital arrangement made by the country.

Responding to questions about the closure of key border crossings at Torkham, Angoor Adda and Chaman, Andrabi said Pakistan’s decision stemmed from repeated militant attacks targeting its security personnel and civilians near its border posts.

“It hurts us that traders and ordinary people are suffering,” he said. “But when armed attacks take place at these trading points, killing Pakistanis, then for us the lives of Pakistanis are more important than any commodity being traded. We have to have our priorities very clear.”

POST-DOHA CALM

The spokesperson said the talks in Doha between Pakistan and Afghanistan had resulted in a partial ceasefire and some “positive progress,” adding that Islamabad expected further improvement in the situation after the Istanbul round of negotiations.

“In Doha, our focus was to stop terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil on Pakistan,” Andrabi explained. “In order to do that, we asked for a verifiable and empirical mechanism to ensure that the regime in Kabul takes concrete action to stop such attacks.”

He noted that, following the Doha talks, no major militant attacks had taken place from the Afghan territory, describing this as a sign of “some positive achievement.”

“We are going to Istanbul with the same sincerity and purpose with which we participated in Doha. The ceasefire has largely held, and that gives us reason to be optimistic about the future,” he said.

Adopting a measured tone, Andrabi rejected the characterization of the Afghan Taliban as an “enemy,” calling the relationship between the two countries “delicate and complex.”

“Our message from Pakistan is simple,” he continued. “Stop these attacks and our relations can be back on track. This is not an outlandish demand. We are not asking for the moon. We are asking [them] to uphold commitments.”

Asked about media reports that Afghanistan was planning to build dams on rivers flowing into Pakistan, he said the government was gathering more details, though he emphasized such cross-boundary water issues must adhere to international law.

“This issue is not new,” he said. “It has existed since the time of [the former Afghan rulers] Zahir Shah and Sardar Daoud.”

“If a dam is being built, we will see how it goes. Six dams costing around $3 billion? I’m not sure New Delhi is so gracious,” he added, suggesting Indian involvement after the administration in New Delhi announced plans to pull out of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), with some officials vowing not even to let a drop of water enter Pakistan.

Islamabad has raised concerns over the IWT issue internationally, saying any attempt to deprive Pakistan of river waters would be “an act of war.” 

PESHAWAR: Three police officers, including a senior superintendent, were killed on Friday in an apparent double-tap attack targeting a checkpoint in Hangu district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.

Police said the assault began when unidentified militants detonated explosives near the Ghulamiana checkpoint, damaging the facility but causing no immediate casualties.

A second, more powerful blast struck soon after, when a police team led by the Superintendent of Police (Operations) Asad Zubair arrived to inspect the site, killing all three officers instantly.

“The police party, headed by the Superintendent of Police, reached the scene when their vehicle hit a planted bomb, leaving all three police officials martyred on the spot,” Hangu police spokesman Saqib Khan told Arab News. “One constable suffered injuries.”

Reinforcements were dispatched to secure the area, and the bodies were shifted to a local hospital for post-mortem examinations, Khan said, adding that an investigation was under way and “multiple leads” were being pursued.

Pakistani officials have long blamed the surge in militant violence on cross-border sanctuaries in Afghanistan, saying attacks have increased since the Taliban took over political control in Kabul in 2021.

They accuse Afghan authorities of harboring groups such as the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a charge Kabul denies, describing the violence as Pakistan’s internal security issue.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the bombing and sought an immediate report from the provincial police chief.

“Such cowardly attacks cannot dampen the morale of our police and Counter-Terrorism Department,” he said in a statement.

“The sacrifices of the martyred officers will not go in vain,” Afridi added. “All resources will be used to restore peace.”