ISLAMABAD: Pakistan dismissed speculation on Thursday about taking over Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, following complaints by officials in Islamabad of cross-border militant attacks, with the foreign office reaffirming its respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the neighboring country.

The Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land in northeastern Afghan region, connects Afghanistan to China and separates Tajikistan from Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in recent years, with Islamabad accusing the Afghan administration in Kabul of “facilitating” such cross-border violence. Afghan officials, however, have consistently denied the claim.

Tensions escalated between the two countries following reports of Pakistani airstrikes targeting alleged militant camps in Afghanistan in December. Afghan officials reported the strikes resulted in civilian casualties, warning Pakistan of consequences.

“The Wakhan Corridor is a part of Afghan territory,” foreign office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said during the weekly news conference. “For us, Afghanistan is a neighbor of Pakistan. We recognize its sovereignty and territorial integrity. There is no question of Pakistan having designs on one of its neighbors.”

Stretching approximately 350 kilometers, the corridor also holds strategic significance as a potential trade and transit route, particularly within the frameworks of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Khan highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two neighboring countries and Pakistan’s commitment to fostering strong ties with Afghanistan.

“[Afghanistan] is an important neighbor,” he said. “Both countries understand the importance of this equation, the importance of good relations between two neighbors.”

“We wish Afghanistan the best,” he added. “And we want to nurture and develop strong, vibrant relations the way it should be between two neighbors.”

While addressing the broader bilateral relationship, he noted ongoing diplomatic efforts to address security concerns, particularly regarding the presence of the TTP on Afghan soil.

“One of the key problems right now is the sanctuaries that the terrorist group TTP enjoys on Afghan soil. The two sides are in contact on this,” he said, adding that diplomatic engagements between the countries were multi-layered and often go unreported.

ISLAMABAD: The political party of Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan is holding a third round of talks with the government today, Thursday, to demand the release of its leader and other political activists and the formation of judicial commissions to probe accusations the party led violent protests. 

Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022 has since plunged the country into long-term political crisis, particularly since the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. Khan’s party and supporters regularly hold protests calling for his release, with some of the demonstrations turning violent, including one in November last year in which the government says four troops were killed and the PTI says 12 of its supporters died. 

Khan’s brief arrest on May 9, 2023, in a land graft case had also sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals. Hundreds of PTI supporters and leaders were subsequently arrested and dozens remain in jail as they face trail before civilian and military courts. 

While Khan had previously rejected talks with the government, saying his party would only speak to the ‘real powerbrokers’ in Pakistan, the all-powerful army, last month he set up a negotiating committee of top PTI leaders to open dialogue with the government on two main demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024 protests. 

The first round of talks took place on Dec. 23 and the second on Jan. 2.

“This is the third meeting between the treasury and the opposition,” Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of parliament’s National Assembly, or lower house, who initiated efforts to open talks, said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. 

“We had some misunderstanding, there were delays and communication gaps but now we are ready [for a third round of talks].

“I hope today’s meeting will take this process forward, which all of Pakistan is watching, that gracefully and with honesty of purpose from both sides, we can carry out this process.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the party would submit its demands in writing to the government negotiating team during the third round of talks. 

“We expect that the government will ponder over the demands with seriousness,” Gohar had said a day earlier. “We hope that if [the government] participates with seriousness, an open mind, and sincerity, a solution can be found to all the issues.”

The talks opened last month as Khan had threatened a civil disobedience movement and amid growing concerns he could face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.

The negotiations also began two days after 25 civilians were sentenced by a military court to periods of two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” in connection with the attacks on military facilities on May 9. Just days later on Dec. 26, another 60 civilians were sentenced by a military court to jail time ranging from 2 to 10 years.

Khan, facing a slew of legal cases from jail, says all charges against him are politically motivated to keep him and his party out of power. Khan had to sit out February 2024 general elections as convicted felons cannot run for public office in Pakistan.