Pakistan’s Ministry of Information on Thursday rejected the Afghan Taliban regime’s allegations regarding an exchange of fire at the Chaman border crossing, maintaining the Afghan side had initiated the incident, prompting Pakistan’s forces to respond.
In a statement on X, the ministry said Pakistani security personnel had responded “in a measured and responsible manner” to firing by Afghan forces. “The situation was brought under control due to the disciplined and professional action of our forces,” it said, adding the ceasefire inked last month remains intact.
The statement further said Pakistan remains committed to resolving border matters through dialogue and expects “reciprocity and seriousness” from Kabul. “Pakistan has consistently worked to maintain peace along the Pak-Afghan border,” it said, as it called on Afghan authorities to avoid any steps that escalate tensions.
Earlier on Thursday, the Afghan Taliban had claimed Pakistani forces opened fire on them at Spin Boldak, adding they had refrained from responding.
The brief confrontation coincided with the resumption of peace talks between the neighboring nations in Istanbul. The third round of talks follows a previous round in Istanbul and the first round in Doha. Mediators Turkiye and Qatar have been facilitating the talks, initiated after the two neighbors engaged in deadly clashes that saw over 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants killed and 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred.
During the clash, security forces conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including Kabul, destroying terrorists’ hideouts.
The ongoing dialogue aims to finalize a framework for a “monitoring and verification mechanism” agreed in principle during the previous round of talks. It also seeks to address longstanding disputes linked to militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Islamabad maintains its demands for the Afghan Taliban to act against terrorists sheltering on its soil are non-negotiable.