Afghan delegation believes that accepting Pakistan’s demands would be the right course of action
ISLAMABAD:
The ongoing talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have failed to make any progress on Islamabad’s key demand for a clear action plan 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, until the submission of this report, the dialogue remained stalled, as the Taliban delegation refused to provide written guarantees.
“The third day of ongoing talks in Istanbul is also facing difficulties,” a security source said. “The logical and reasoned demands that Pakistan has put forward are legitimate, but the Afghan Taliban delegation is not willing to fully accept them.” the source added.
Pakistan has refused to soften its stance, maintaining that any cooperation with the Taliban regime depends on Kabul taking concrete steps against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch militant groups and other organizations that use Afghan territory to launch attacks.
“The message from Islamabad was clear: there are no concessions on terrorism,” another source said. “Pakistan has put forward 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 authorization 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, but they are moving forward according to instructions from Kabul.
“It would be fair to say that they are being controlled from Kabul and there is no encouraging response from the Kabul administration, which is creating a stalemate,” the source said. “It seems that some elements in Kabul are working on another agenda.”
The latest round came after nearly nine hours of talks on Sunday, during which Pakistan reiterated its single-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 attempts by Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists from the Afghan side.
“It is important to note that these infiltration attempts are being carried out at a time when delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan are participating in talks in Turkiye, casting doubt on the intentions of the Afghan interim 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 fulfill 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 that a breakthrough appeared unlikely unless Afghan leaders issued clear directives to act against the TTP network.
Turkiye, which is hosting the talks and a half together with Qatar, is reportedly doing everything it can 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 INPUTS FROM THE NEWS DESK)
