ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani delegation has made it clear to Afghan officials that there will be “no compromise” on Islamabad’s demands related to “cross-border terrorism,” a Pakistani security official said on Monday, as talks between the two sides entered the third day.
The talks in Istanbul, which began on Saturday, mark the latest attempt by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a relapse into violence after deadly border skirmishes between the neighbors this month killed dozens of people on both sides.
Clashes erupted between the neighbors earlier this month after Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Kabul following the killing of a dozen Pakistani soldiers. The skirmishes and strikes continued intermittently before a ceasefire was reached in Doha on Oct. 19. Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan to rein in militants on its soil and prevent them from carrying out attacks against it. Kabul denies the allegations.
In the talks held in Istanbul, Islamabad presented its “final position” to the Afghan side that the “ongoing patronage of terrorists by the Afghan Taliban is unacceptable,” according to the Pakistani security official. Islamabad demanded Kabul take “concrete, verifiable” steps against militant groups, mainly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“The Pakistani delegation has made it clear that no compromise is possible on our core demands on cross-border terrorism,” the Pakistani security official said, citing anonymity.
The official said the “stubbornness, lack of seriousness and non-cooperative attitude” of the Afghan Taliban was “getting evident” to other participants of the dialogue as well, especially to Turkiye.
“The host country interlocutors are making all-out efforts to bring the Taliban delegation to understand realities, acknowledge evidence and cooperate seriously so that the talks can be fruitful,” the official added.
’RECIPROCAL RESPONSE’
Meanwhile, Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted by state broadcaster Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA) as saying that Kabul was awaiting the outcome of the discussions.
“Mujahid emphasized that the Islamic Emirate believes in resolving issues through dialogue; however, he warned that if any country attacks Afghanistan, it will receive a reciprocal response,” the RTA said.
The RTA reported that the Afghan delegation presented a draft of its proposals to the Pakistani delegation in Istanbul on Sunday night. The draft emphasizes that Pakistan must respect Afghanistan’s land and airspace and prevent any group or opposition from conducting activities against Afghanistan, RTA reported.
“It also proposes the establishment of a quadrilateral channel to exchange information on violations and conduct assessments to ensure follow-up on the ceasefire agreement,” the Afghan state broadcaster said.
Tensions between the two sides rose on Sunday night after Pakistan’s military said five soldiers and 25 TTP militants were killed in two separate engagements near the country’s border with Afghanistan.
“It is significant to point out that these infiltration attempts by Fitna al Khwarij (TTP militants) are being carried out at a time when delegations of Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in talks in Türkiye, casting doubts on intentions of interim
Afghan government with regards to addressing the issue of terrorism emanating from its soil,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.
