Islamabad (TDI): The third round of Pakistan-Afghanistan negotiations focused on resolving cross-border terrorism and strengthening a fragile ceasefire will take place in Istanbul today.
Delegates from both nations arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday for the two-day talks, which are being facilitated with the joint mediation of Turkiye and Qatar, Dawn reported.
These discussions follow intense diplomatic efforts after last month’s deadly border clashes, which severely strained ties between the neighboring countries, marking a low point in their relations since the Taliban took control in Kabul in 2021.
Leading Pakistan’s delegation is Lt Gen Asim Malik, the head of ISI, with representatives from the military, intelligence, and Foreign Office. The Afghan Taliban’s team is headed by Abdul Haq Waseq, the head of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), alongside Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, Qahar Balkhi, Zakir Jalali, and Afghanistan’s envoy in Ankara.
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The main focus will be on finalizing the modalities for the monitoring and verification mechanism, which was tentatively agreed upon last week.
At the end of the previous round, a joint statement issued by Turkiye’s foreign ministry confirmed that both parties had agreed to maintain the ceasefire and establish a monitoring system to ensure compliance, with penalties for any violations.
Despite the tentative agreements reached in earlier talks, officials from both countries are managing expectations for the upcoming session. Pakistani officials have reiterated their position that Afghan soil should not be used for attacks against Pakistan.
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Earlier, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif expressed cautious optimism, saying, “The delegation has left today, and negotiations will begin tomorrow morning. We hope that Afghanistan will act wisely and peace can be restored in the region.”
