US hears Pakistan’s concerns over terrorism from Afghanistan, would play ‘productive role’ if there is one: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed on Saturday that Washington has acknowledged Pakistan's apprehensions regarding terrorism originating from Afghanistan. During a press conference in Atlanta, Rubio stated that if there was an opportunity for the United States to contribute constructively, they would do so. He elaborated that Pakistan has expressed concern over terrorist attacks sponsored from within Afghanistan's borders, alleging that the Taliban has not sufficiently curtailed such activities.

Despite not maintaining a close relationship with the Afghan Taliban, Rubio affirmed that the U.S. is opposed to terrorism, regardless of its source or target. He further noted that the U.S. was aware of the attacks Pakistan has cited and shared the same stance against terrorism. Pakistan has persistently urged the Afghan Taliban to eliminate terrorist hideouts within its territory, especially those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it attributes to attacks on Pakistani soil.

The Afghan Taliban, however, have not unequivocally addressed these allegations, while denying Islamabad's claims of utilizing Afghanistan as a launching pad for attacks against Pakistan. In reaction to this, Pakistan's information ministry criticized the Taliban's stance on the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict, accusing the group of "persistent refusal to address terrorism" emanating from Afghan soil.

The ministry highlighted that the Taliban's blame on Islamabad for the conflict and refusal to tackle the root cause of deteriorating relations is a deeply misguided approach. Pakistan reiterated that the Taliban's failure to address terrorism remains the primary impediment to normalizing bilateral relations. Despite multiple rounds of talks between the two nations since last year, facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, no productive resolution has been reached.

Even recent efforts, including those involving China and Russia, have yielded no breakthrough. Russia, the only nation to formally recognize the Taliban government, has recently reiterated its willingness to mediate if both sides seek its involvement. However, the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, recently suggested facilitating a settlement only if the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan request his involvement, following the recent Moscow Format consultations that ended without a joint communiqué due to disagreements over references to terrorist networks.

Border skirmishes persist, with Pakistan conducting targeted airstrikes in response to terrorist attacks in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, and Pakistan responding to unprovoked fire from the Afghan side along the border in Kurram and Lower South Waziristan's Angoor Adda in October.