Istanbul (TDI): The latest round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Istanbul ended on Sunday without a breakthrough, as the Afghan Taliban delegation remained hesitant to take verifiable action against militant groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operating from Afghan territory.
The discussions, extended late into the night but failed to yield common ground on the key issue of dismantling terrorist sanctuaries across the border, Dawn reported.
According to senior Pakistani security officials, Islamabad’s team had laid out its “final position,” demanding that Kabul undertake “concrete and verifiable measures” to eliminate all forms of cross-border terrorism.
“Pakistan has made it clear that continued support or shelter for terrorist groups will not be tolerated,” one senior official emphasized, describing the Taliban’s explanations as “contrary to facts on the ground,” the paper added.
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Officials cautioned that the Taliban’s current posture served neither Afghan nor regional interests. Earlier, the Afghan delegation had handed over a written reply to Pakistan’s proposals from the previous day, prompting Islamabad to issue a counter-response. This exchange was followed by a second session, attended by senior Turkish and Qatari mediators.
Initial optimism after the exchange of documents soon dissipated when the Afghan side declined to provide any written assurances. Pakistani delegates observed that the visiting team, which was taking instructions from both Kabul and Kandahar, lacked the mandate to make binding commitments.
During the two-day deliberations, Pakistan shared photographic and documentary evidence of TTP, BLA, and other militant networks based in Afghanistan, including details of their leadership, hideouts, and movements. Islamabad also presented identity documents of captured infiltrators as further proof.
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At one point, the Taliban suggested arranging direct talks between Pakistani authorities and the TTP, an offer Islamabad firmly rejected, insisting that the onus lay on the Taliban regime to curb the group’s activities.
Reiterating Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s earlier stance, Pakistani negotiators stressed that Islamabad was ready to bear any cost to secure its citizens from cross-border terror. They warned that the Afghan people themselves would suffer from their government’s intransigence.
