News
November 14, 2025
Shehbaz Offers Talks to Afghanistan after Deadly Militant Attacks
Islamabad: Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday offered talks to Afghanistan’s Taliban government in a renewed peace overture, about a week after negotiations between the two sides collapsed in Istanbul, raising fears that a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey could unravel and trigger new border clashes.
Shehbaz Sharif made the offer in a televised speech to parliament, a day after a deadly suicide bombing outside a court in Islamabad killed 12 people and wounded 27 others.
Still, he said that Pakistan wanted peace in the region, because it was good for both sides, though there were “Afghan footprints” in this week’s attacks.
“Let us sit with sincere hearts, rein in terrorism, and work together for peace and prosperity in the region,” Sharif said. He said that during the recent rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul, Pakistan had only made one demand to Afghanistan: rein in the militants.
“We want peace to prevail,” he said, and “Afghanistan should realize that what is good for us is good for them. But it cannot be that they make promises and then fail to act.”
There was no immediate comment from Kabul to Sharif’s offer.
The latest development came hours after Pakistanis buried their loved ones killed in the suicide bombing at an Islamabad court , as authorities opened an investigation into the assault.
The bombing in Islamabad underscored the country’s challenges as the government struggles with a growing militancy , border tensions and a fragile truce with Afghanistan.
Tuesday’s attack at the district court, located on the edge of the city, raised alarms that despite multiple operations by security forces to crush the militants, they are still capable of mounting high-profile bombings — even in the Pakistani capital.
Pakistan has struggled with a surge in militant attacks in recent years, but until Tuesday’s bombing, Islamabad had largely been considered a safer place.
Forensic teams and police were combing Wednesday through debris at the site of the blast, which had been sealed to preserve evidence. Across the city, grief-stricken relatives were receiving the bodies of their loved ones at an Islamabad hospital.
Later, funeral prayers got underway for some of the victims. Most of the 27 people wounded in the bombing had been discharged home after treatment.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s bombing that the attack was “carried out by Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies” linked to the Pakistani Taliban.
He offered no evidence and also said that authorities were “looking into all aspects” of the explosion.
India and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, which both reject Pakistan’s accusations, have been working to increase ties in areas like business and humanitarian aid, despite not having formal diplomatic relations.
Naqvi also blamed the Pakistani Taliban for the attack. Pakistan has long said that the Afghan Taliban have been sheltering leaders and fighters from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan , or TTP — an accusation that Kabul denies.ap
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