The European Union’s ambassador to Islamabad, Raimundas Karoblis, has said Pakistan’s request that the Taliban take action against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is reasonable. He added that Islamabad’s concerns stem from security threats originating from across the border.
In an interview with the Pakistani newspaper The News, Karoblis said the EU condemns terrorism in all forms and that Pakistan’s expectation for Afghanistan to act against TTP was grounded in legitimate security concerns. The newspaper reported that the ambassador expressed support for Islamabad’s assertion that militants operating from Afghanistan were responsible for recent attacks inside Pakistan.
The comments appeared in a report published on Wednesday in which the EU envoy also emphasised that tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban should be resolved through diplomatic channels.
Karoblis presented his credentials as the EU’s ambassador to Pakistan on 10 September. He previously served as the European Union’s ambassador to Tajikistan from 2022 to 2025.
Referring to Türkiye’s recent mediation efforts between Islamabad and the Taliban, Karoblis said the EU encourages Pakistan to keep diplomatic channels open. When asked whether the Taliban were fulfilling their Doha commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used against neighbouring states, he said he did not have independent information to assess the matter and that it was too early to reach a firm conclusion.
Karoblis also said a high-level Pakistan–EU strategic dialogue is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks, led by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Pakistan’s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar. According to information provided, the discussions will cover Afghanistan, the Russia–Ukraine war, regional security and Pakistan’s role at the United Nations.
His remarks come after the recent collapse of the third round of talks between Pakistan and the Taliban in Istanbul. Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said the negotiations had reached a complete deadlock and that there were no plans for further talks, adding that the delegation’s return without progress suggested mediators had also lost confidence in the process.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid later confirmed that the Istanbul talks had failed, saying they produced no results. He added that the Taliban would not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
