Kallas Says Talks, Not Airstrikes, Key To Easing Pakistan-Afghanistan Tension

Speaking during the eighth EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad, Kallas said Pakistan has the right to defend itself under international law but stressed that negotiations remain the most effective way to reduce tensions and prevent a broader crisis.

“Dialogue, not airstrikes, is the best path to de-escalation,” she said, adding that the European Union has consistently called on all parties to exercise restraint and seek a political solution.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said discussions with the EU focused on Afghanistan, regional security in South Asia and the Middle East, as well as broader international issues including tensions between the United States and Iran.

Dar also welcomed EU support for Pakistan's mediation efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran, saying Islamabad would continue working toward a sustainable diplomatic solution.

Afghanistan was a central topic of the talks amid ongoing disputes between Pakistan and the Taliban administration over cross-border militancy. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to prevent members of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) from operating from Afghanistan territory, an allegation the Taliban deny.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Border clashes, military operations and competing claims over militant activity have repeatedly fueled tensions between the two neighbours.

The European Union has expressed concern over the humanitarian impact of insecurity along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, warning that instability could worsen displacement, disrupt trade and create conditions that extremist groups could exploit.

The meeting also reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, migration and counterterrorism. Officials noted that the EU remains one of Pakistan's largest economic partners, with bilateral trade estimated at around 12 billion euros annually.

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