Pakistan has said it would welcome efforts by the United States to help facilitate dialogue with Afghanistan, but has attached a clear condition: Kabul must take verifiable action against militant groups. Foreign Office spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan made the remarks on 1 November 2026, telling Independent Urdu that Pakistan would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries, including the United States, to facilitate dialogue.

According to the reports, Khan said any meaningful dialogue must rest on a clear commitment by the Afghan Taliban authorities to take concrete, sustained and verifiable action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Balochistan Liberation Army and other groups. He added that Pakistan remains open to constructive engagement, provided it leads to tangible outcomes addressing its security concerns.

What Washington said

The response followed remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on 31 October. Rubio said Washington had heard Pakistan's concerns about attacks sponsored from Afghan territory, and that if there was a productive role for the United States to play, it would play it. He added that the United States does not necessarily have a close relationship with the Afghan Taliban, and that it opposes terrorism no matter where it comes from or who it targets.

What remains undecided

No date, venue or format for talks has been agreed, and Washington has not announced a formal mediation plan, an envoy or a timetable. Previous rounds of talks facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye ended without a breakthrough, and Russia has also renewed an offer to help if both sides request it; Khan said no separate formal Russian initiative was currently under review and that talks could not be unconditional. No full official transcript of Khan's remarks has been published, and the Taliban authorities have rejected Pakistan's allegations that Afghan territory is used for attacks against Pakistan.

Sources: KhabarWire and Dawn, via Beflaz.