ATLANTA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Washington could help ease Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions if it found a productive role in addressing Islamabad’s terrorism concerns.
Speaking after a Group of Twenty foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Rubio acknowledged Pakistan’s complaints about attacks from Afghan territory.
He told reporters Washington had seen some attacks Islamabad cited. “If there’s a productive role for us to play, we would play it,” he said.
Rubio acknowledged that Washington did not have close relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. The United States opposed terrorism regardless of its origin or targets.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting accused Kabul’s Taliban administration of failing to curb cross-border militancy.
Islamabad says the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) uses Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected Islamabad’s accusations.
He blamed Pakistani policies for the dispute and accused Islamabad of resisting talks. Pakistan’s information ministry disputed that account. It described Kabul’s failure to address terrorism as the main obstacle to normal relations.
Read: Pakistan Rejects Afghan Airstrike Casualty Claims, Cites TTP
Qatar and Turkiye facilitated talks between the neighbours in 2025, but the discussions produced no agreement. Efforts involving China this year also failed to deliver a breakthrough.
Read: Khawaja Asif Accuses PTI of Planning Violence With TTP
Russia has offered to facilitate talks if both countries request its help. During an October 16 briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan welcomed sincere proposals but ruled out unconditional talks.
He confirmed that no separate Russian mediation initiative was formally under discussion. Intermittent border clashes have continued. In October, Pakistani security sources reported firing along the border in Kurram and near Angoor Adda in Lower South Waziristan.
