Istanbul (TDI): Despite three days of intense discussions in Istanbul, Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed to reach a consensus on how to tackle cross-border terrorism.
The talks, held in the Turkish capital, saw fluctuating levels of hope and frustration, with no final agreement by Monday evening.
Sources familiar with the closed-door negotiations revealed that while the two sides had made progress on many issues, the primary sticking point remains the mechanism for ensuring action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, Dawn reported on Tuesday.
The morning started on a positive note, with participants describing the talks as productive and expressing satisfaction with the “serious engagement” from both sides. However, as the day progressed, optimism began to wane. By the evening, sources admitted that the process had stalled, with tensions rising over the Afghan delegation’s reluctance to commit to verifiable actions against groups like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), it added.
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“There’s resistance from the Afghan Taliban delegation to put anything concrete in writing, especially regarding their commitment to curb TTP activities,” the paper said citing a source.
While Afghan officials have acknowledged Pakistan’s concerns, there has been hesitation on their part to provide written guarantees.
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Despite the challenges, both sides and their mediators Turkiye and Qatar remained determined to keep the dialogue going. Some Afghan negotiators continue to express hope, describing the remaining issues as “resolvable” and stating that tensions between the two nations benefit no one.
The talks have yet to yield a significant result, the diplomatic engagement shows that both countries remain committed to finding a solution despite the ongoing deadlock.
