Pakistan Says Taliban Dropped Terror Language, So Moscow Talks Had No Statement
The Moscow Format on Afghanistan ended with no joint statement on 5 October 2026. Pakistan's Foreign Office says the Taliban refused last year's terror wording.
Pakistan's Foreign Office said on Friday 9 October 2026 that the Moscow Format talks on Afghanistan ended without a joint statement because the Afghan Taliban delegation refused language on terrorism it had accepted a year earlier. Pakistan says it will not sign a statement that leaves out terrorism from Afghan soil.
The Moscow Format is a yearly meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Russia. Its 8th meeting took place in Moscow on 5 October 2026. Pakistan sent Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Pakistan's Ambassador in Kabul.
We read the full transcript of the Foreign Office spokesperson's weekly briefing of 9 October, where the meeting came up three times, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page on Afghanistan. Here is what Pakistan said, why it matters at the border, and what happens next.
The Moscow meeting on 5 October ended with no joint statement
The meeting produced no agreed final text. At the 9 October briefing, a journalist asked whether this showed relations with Afghanistan getting worse. The spokesperson said Pakistan took part constructively and raised its concern about terrorism coming from Afghan territory.
He said those concerns were "duly reflected" in the joint statement of last year's Moscow meeting. This year, he said, the Afghan Taliban delegation "did not agree to retain the previously agreed language" and moved away from its earlier position.
Pakistan's view was blunt. A joint statement that does not reflect this security concern "would not present a fair picture of the ground realities," the spokesperson said. For Pakistan, he added, it is "a substantive security issue, not merely a matter of wording".
Pakistan says even Russia was surprised by the Taliban change
The spokesperson said Russia's representative remarked in the meeting that it was surprising the Taliban objected to language on preventing terrorism that had been agreed the year before. When asked why, the Taliban side replied that "the ground situation has changed", according to Pakistan's account.
Pakistan reads that phrase differently. The spokesperson said terrorist attacks from Afghanistan have intensified, so the space for terrorists to operate has grown. He said neighbouring countries and the wider world must come together on it.
Reports of the meeting say this was the first Moscow Format meeting since the series began to end without a joint statement. The Russian side has not published a statement that we could open, so treat that point as reported.
The talks follow a month of border strikes and counter-claims
The meeting came days after a sharp rise in tension. On 1 October Pakistan said its air strikes on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan killed 22 terrorists. Afghanistan's Taliban administration said the strikes killed civilians, which Pakistan denies.
At the same briefing, the spokesperson answered new accusations from Afghanistan's Foreign Minister, who said in Moscow that Pakistan has links with the ISKP militant group and is active in Nuristan and Badakhshan. Pakistan "categorically rejects" this, he said. He added that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the BLA have safe havens in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan, and that Pakistan has shared their locations.
Pakistan had already rejected the Nuristan claims on 27 September. The spokesperson repeated that the strikes were precise and aimed at places where attacks on Pakistan were being planned.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 27 September 2026 | Pakistan rejects Afghan claims about Nuristan |
| 1 October 2026 | Pakistan announces air strikes on hideouts in Afghanistan |
| 5 October 2026 | 8th Moscow Format meeting, no joint statement |
| 9 October 2026 | Foreign Office explains Pakistan's position |
| October 2027 | Next Moscow meeting expected, about a year away |
Why the Moscow talks matter to people in Pakistan
A missing statement in Moscow sounds remote. The link to daily life runs through security and trade. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Pakistan and Afghanistan share a border of more than 2,600 km, and that two-way trade reached US$1,998 million in fiscal year 2024-25.
When the two governments cannot even agree a sentence on terrorism, it signals that the security dispute is still open. That dispute has led to border closures before, which hit traders, transporters and families on both sides.
- Traders and transporters: watch official notices before sending goods, because crossing rules have changed at short notice this year.
- Families with relatives in Afghanistan: Pakistan has an embassy in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, according to the Foreign Office.
- Residents of border districts: follow official security advisories from provincial authorities.
None of this changed on 9 October itself. What changed is that Pakistan has said, on record, that it will not trade away the terrorism language to get a statement signed.
What Pakistan says comes next
The spokesperson said the next Moscow Format meeting is about a year away, so there is time to consult before deciding whether to attend. Pakistan "might continue to participate", he said, but it is "premature to make any definitive commitment".
- Pakistan keeps raising terrorism from Afghan soil in every regional meeting.
- It says it will have friendly relations with Afghanistan once the Afghan government stops supporting militants who cross into Pakistan.
- It will decide on the 2027 Moscow meeting after consultations.
He also said the lack of a joint statement "should not overshadow the value of regional dialogue". So the door is open, but on Pakistan's terms.
Common questions
What is the Moscow Format?
It is a regular meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Russia, attended by special envoys from regional countries and the Afghan Taliban administration. The 8th meeting was held on 5 October 2026.
Why was there no joint statement this year?
Pakistan says the Afghan Taliban refused to keep last year's agreed language on terrorism from Afghanistan, and Pakistan would not accept a text without it.
Who represented Pakistan in Moscow?
Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Pakistan's Ambassador to Kabul.
Will Pakistan attend the next Moscow meeting?
Not decided. The Foreign Office says the next meeting is about a year away and Pakistan will consult before committing.
Did Pakistan respond to the ISKP accusation?
Yes. On 9 October the spokesperson said Pakistan categorically rejects the claim, and said the TTP and BLA have safe havens inside Afghanistan.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 10 October 2026 at about 7:45pm PKT. We read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs transcript of the spokesperson's press briefing of Friday 9 October 2026 and the ministry's Afghanistan page for border length, trade and mission details. Russia's own statement on the meeting was not available for us to read, so the "first time without a statement" point is marked as reported. The Afghan side's account is described only as Pakistan's spokesperson reported it.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
