INFRAME ASIA, NEWS – Afghanistan’s Taliban government said on Monday, October 5, 2026, that its disputes with neighbouring Pakistan could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the statement during a meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia. The remarks came as military tensions between the two countries have continued to rise.
Muttaqi said Afghanistan did not want its problems with Pakistan to become a prolonged confrontation. He said Kabul was not seeking new ways to extend the dispute or turn it into a cycle of accusations. The statement was made on October 5, 2026, during the Moscow Format Consultations, Moscow local time (UTC+3).
The Afghan foreign minister also accused Pakistan’s powerful military of relying on military pressure rather than political understanding. He said Islamabad had used issues involving transit routes, Afghan refugees and students as instruments of pressure against Afghanistan. Pakistan has not immediately responded to those specific accusations.
Muttaqi said Afghanistan considered self-defence against any aggression to be its legitimate and undeniable right. His comments came after a series of military confrontations and accusations between the two neighbours. Kabul has repeatedly accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghan territory.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply over the issue of militancy. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of allowing militants to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has rejected the accusation and has described militancy as an internal Pakistani problem.
The latest diplomatic comments came only days after Pakistani airstrikes hit areas inside Afghanistan. The strikes on October 1, 2026, targeted locations in Kunar and Helmand provinces, according to Pakistan. Afghan authorities said civilians were killed, while Islamabad said the attacks targeted militant hideouts.
Afghan officials said the strikes represented an escalation between the two countries after a period of relative calm. Pakistan said its military operations were based on intelligence concerning militant activity. The two governments have continued to give sharply different accounts of the casualties and targets involved.
The dispute has also affected movement and trade between the two countries. Pakistan has previously restricted border crossings and transit routes during periods of heightened tension. Afghanistan has accused Islamabad of using these measures to put economic and political pressure on Kabul.
The Moscow meeting brought the Afghan Taliban together with representatives from several countries, including Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and nations from Central Asia. Russian officials hosted the discussions as part of efforts to address Afghanistan’s regional position and security concerns. The meeting took place on October 5, 2026, in Moscow, Russia, where the local time zone is UTC+3.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have also accused each other of allowing militant groups to operate across their shared frontier. Islamabad says armed groups based in Afghanistan have carried out attacks against Pakistani targets. The Taliban government has denied providing sanctuary to militants responsible for attacks in Pakistan.
