ISLAMABAD:
The ongoing talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have failed to yield any breakthrough on Islamabad’s key demand for a clear plan of action to dismantle terrorist infrastructure operating from Afghan soil.
Officials familiar with the development said both sides held another round of discussions on Monday in the presence of Turkish officials mediating to bridge differences. However, till the filing of this report, the dialogue remained deadlocked, as the Taliban delegation refused to provide written guarantees.
“The third day of the ongoing talks in Istanbul is also facing difficulties,” a security source said. “The logical and reasoned demands that Pakistan has presented are legitimate, but the Afghan Taliban delegation are not ready to fully accept them.” the source added.
Pakistan has refused to soften its stance, maintaining that any cooperation with the Taliban regime hinges on Kabul taking concrete steps against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch militant groups, and other organisations using Afghan territory to launch attacks.
“The message from Islamabad was clear – no compromise on terrorism,” said another source. “Pakistan has presented specific proposals seeking verifiable measures to dismantle the TTP network and prevent cross-border attacks.”
While Afghan delegates were said to be receptive to some of Pakistan’s proposals, officials added that the delegation lacked formal authorisation from Kabul and Kandahar, limiting the scope of the dialogue.
Interestingly, the security source noted, even the Afghan delegation believes that accepting Pakistan’s demands would be the right course of action, yet they are moving forward according to the instructions from Kabul.
“It would be fair to say they are being controlled from Kabul, and there is no encouraging response from the Kabul administration, which is creating the deadlock,” the source said. “It seems that some elements in Kabul are working on another agenda.”
The latest round followed nearly nine hours of talks on Sunday, during which Pakistan reiterated its one-point agenda – that peace and cooperation between the two countries cannot advance unless the Afghan side acts decisively against groups targeting Pakistan.
The talks come amid heightened tensions after Pakistan reported multiple infiltration attempts from across the Afghan border. On Sunday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistani forces foiled two infiltration bids by Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists from the Afghan side.
“It is significant to point out that these infiltration attempts are being carried out at a time when delegations of Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in talks in Turkiye, casting doubts on the intentions of the interim Afghan government regarding the issue of terrorism emanating from its soil,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Islamabad has consistently urged Kabul to ensure effective border management and to fulfil its obligations under the Doha Agreement by denying Afghan soil to militants targeting Pakistan.
Officials said diplomatic efforts were continuing to salvage the process, but a breakthrough appeared unlikely unless the Afghan leadership issued clear directives to act against the TTP network.
Turkiye, which is hosting the talks and mediating alongside Qatar, is reportedly trying its best to ensure that the dialogue produces some positive results. According to security sources, the host countries agree that Pakistan’s demands are reasonable and legitimate.
“The Pakistani delegation has repeatedly made it clear that accepting Pakistan’s demands is in everyone’s interest. The host countries have also conveyed the same message to the Afghan delegation,” the source added.
(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)
