ISLAMABAD, November 11. /TASS/. Lasting peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan can only be achieved once terrorist attacks from Afghanistan come to an end, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

"Afghanistan must understand that lasting peace can only be achieved by curbing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist groups operating on Afghan soil," the Dawn daily quoted Sharif as saying during the Interparliamentary Conference of Speakers in Islamabad. "We firmly believe that peace and security are the foundation of sustainable national and regional development."

According to the Pakistani prime minister, the country’s armed forces "gave a firm response" to armed attacks from Afghanistan in October, "teaching Kabul an unforgettable lesson."

Sharif praised the efforts of Turkey and Qatar in advancing peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Taliban. "Peace in Afghanistan is the key to stability, engagement, and prosperity in the region. We believe in peaceful coexistence and are making every effort to achieve this goal," he stressed.

Shootouts took place in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on October 11. Later, the Afghan Air Force carried out a strike on the Pakistani city of Lahore. Taliban officials did not provide any details of the operation.

Afghanistan’s TOLO News TV channel reported that the clashes killed at least 58 Pakistani service members. Islamabad, in turn, said that at least 200 militants had been eliminated, 19 terrorist facilities had been destroyed in Afghanistan, from which shelling attacks had been carried out, and the headquarters of an Afghan tank battalion supporting extremists involved in the attack on Pakistan had also been targeted.

On November 6, the third round of Pakistani-Afghani talks on resolving the border situation took place in Istanbul. The negotiation process was suspended due to disagreements between the parties.