Pakistan on Thursday strongly rejected Kabul’s claims that it was responsible for an exchange of fire along the Pak-Afghan border near Chaman, saying the firing was initiated from the Afghan side.

In a statement posted on its official X account, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said, “We strongly reject claims circulated by the Afghan side regarding today’s incident at the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman. Firing was initiated from the Afghan side, to which our security forces responded immediately in a measured and responsible manner.“

According to the statement, some elements from across the border opened unprovoked fire on Pakistani posts. Security forces responded effectively and brought the situation under control.

The ministry said the ceasefire remains intact and that Pakistan remains committed to ongoing dialogue with Afghan authorities. Islamabad, it added, expects reciprocal cooperation from Kabul to maintain peace along the border.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Information said Pakistan remains committed to ongoing negotiations and expects the same constructive approach from Afghan authorities.

The incident at the Chaman border occurred as the third round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban began in Istanbul to curb terrorism.

Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan’s only demand is that the “attacks from Afghan soil on Pakistani territory must stop”.

He warned that if the talks fail, the situation could worsen, adding that Pakistan has the means to respond “in the same manner we are being targeted.”

Asif stressed that Pakistan seeks comprehensive and practical assurances from Kabul, and if negotiations do not yield the desired results, all strategic options will be considered.

He further said the Afghan Taliban acknowledge Pakistan’s concerns but have been reluctant to provide written guarantees.

Asif added that India does not want the talks to succeed and instead seeks to keep Pakistan entangled in terrorism.