Three Afghan Nationals Among Four Killed In Peshawar Police Operation

He alleged that the Taliban had demanded 10 billion rupees (about £27 million) in exchange for transferring members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Speaking to Pakistan’s SAMAA TV on Friday, 31 October, Asif said terrorism and cross-border attacks originating from Afghan soil must cease entirely; otherwise, the agreement between the two countries would lose its value.

He stressed that Pakistan would not tolerate terrorism from any group including the TTP or Baloch separatists and warned that cross-border attacks would face a strong response.

Referring to the upcoming round of talks on 6 November, Asif said the Pakistani delegation would attend to finalise details with the Afghan Taliban.

He noted that if progress was made, senior officials could join the discussions and that a new mechanism would be established to address cross-border militant activity.

The defence minister added that although the Afghan Taliban had requested 10 billion rupees for the transfer of TTP members, they had yet to provide any security guarantees.

Asif said Pakistan was willing to pay more but claimed that Kabul had refused to commit to upholding its side of the agreement.

He previously stated that the normalisation of relations between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban depends on the group’s willingness to curb TTP operations, noting that many of the group’s members are currently sheltering inside Afghanistan.

Speaking to Khyber News TV, Mujahid said the Taliban does not allow members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate inside Afghanistan.

He added, however, that recent Pakistani airstrikes in Paktika and several other parts of Afghanistan had killed women and children.

Mujahid said the Taliban does not support war and believes that the root causes of its disputes with Pakistan must be identified and addressed through talks.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said relations between Islamabad and Kabul will not return to normal unless the Taliban stops supporting TTP. He claimed that some TTP members are sheltering in Afghanistan and that their cross-border infiltration must be halted.

At the same time, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the third round of talks with the Taliban scheduled for next week in Istanbul will produce tangible results.

Authorities have not yet confirmed when the key crossing a vital route for trade and passenger movement will fully reopen.

Afghan migrants detained in Pakistan for lacking valid residence documents had been held in a camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the shutdown.

However, commercial transport and pedestrian movement on both sides of the border remain suspended.

Abdullah Farooqi, spokesperson for the Torkham Border Police, said Pakistani authorities had decided to temporarily reopen the crossing only for Afghan travellers.

The prolonged closure caused widespread confusion and hardship for passengers and resulted in millions of dollars in trade losses for businesses in both countries.

Pakistani and Taliban officials are expected to meet again on 6 November in Istanbul to discuss ways to ease tensions and prevent further escalation.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, wrote on X that funding and allowing female health workers access to communities can save lives and secure children’s futures.

He added that despite enormous challenges, UNICEF continues to work every day for the health of the Afghan people, and this year alone, more than 480,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have received treatment.

The World Food Programme reported in September that nearly five million mothers and children in Afghanistan are malnourished, warning that the hunger crisis is deepening across the country.

According to UN figures, every ten seconds, one child in Afghanistan becomes malnourished.

In an interview with Geo News on Friday, Asif said peaceful relations with Afghanistan are only possible if the Taliban take decisive action against the Pakistani Taliban group.

He claimed that several TTP members have taken refuge in Afghanistan and continue to infiltrate Pakistani territory.
Asif said Pakistan’s top priority is ending terrorist infiltration from Afghan soil.

His comments come a day after Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani described the TTP issue as Pakistan’s “internal matter” and urged Islamabad to resolve it domestically.

Speaking at a meeting in Kabul on Thursday, Haqqani said the Taliban lack “tanks, artillery, or aircraft” but have the determination to defend Afghanistan against foreign aggression.

Referring to Islamabad’s recent warnings, Haqqani said other nations should learn from the fate of the Soviet Union, NATO, and the United States.

He also accused certain individuals in Pakistan of “fanning the flames of war,” saying their actions threaten to destabilise the region further.