Deadlock persists at Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Turkiye over Taliban’s refusal to act against TTP

ISTANBUL: A deadlock continued on Sunday at the Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Istanbul, as the Afghan Taliban delegation remained hesitant to commit to “verifiable measures” against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups said to be operating from within Afghanistan.

According to Dawn, this was the second consecutive day of discussions, which continued into Sunday after both sides failed to find common ground on eliminating terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan. Following nearly nine hours of intense talks, Pakistani security officials said their delegation had presented its “final position” to the Afghan side, insisting that the Taliban regime must take “concrete and verifiable steps to eliminate cross-border terrorism from and inside Afghanistan.”

“Pakistan has made it clear that the ongoing patronage of terrorists by the Afghan Taliban is unacceptable”, a senior Pakistani security official told Dawn, adding that Taliban responses to Pakistan’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Afghan soil were “illogical and opposite to ground realities”.

The official also alleged that the Taliban delegation “appeared to be following someone else’s agenda”. Dawn reported that this suspicion deepened when, during the Istanbul process, forces allegedly violated the ceasefire in the Leepa Sector of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). While there was no official word on losses, locals reported an “intense exchange of fire” on Sunday evening.

Officials cautioned that this stance of the Taliban “was not in the interest of Afghanistan, Pakistan, or the region,” and stressed that further progress in the talks would depend on the “positive attitude of the Afghan Taliban.”

Earlier on Sunday, the Afghan delegation presented a written response to Pakistan’s demands submitted the previous day, following which Islamabad shared its counter-response, Dawn reported. A second session, held after midday in the presence of senior Turkish and Qatari mediators, initially sparked optimism. However, hopes faded after prolonged discussions as the Taliban delegation refused to provide any written assurances.

Pakistani officials said the Afghan representatives, who were “receiving directions from Kabul and Kandahar,” appeared to lack the mandate to make decisions. Their refusal to issue written commitments was seen as a sign of “unwillingness to act against the TTP and other militant groups with hideouts in Afghanistan,” Dawn reported.

During the two-day talks, the Pakistani side presented “photographic and documentary evidence” of TTP, BLA, and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, including leadership details, movement patterns, and Afghan identity documents of infiltrators captured during recent border incidents, according to insiders quoted by Dawn.

At one stage, the Afghan Taliban offered to bring the TTP to the table for “direct talks with Pakistani authorities.” Islamabad, however, “categorically refused,” reiterating that it would not negotiate with a terrorist group and that it was the Taliban’s responsibility to end their patronage of the TTP.

Echoing Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s earlier remarks, Pakistani negotiators told the Afghan side that Islamabad was “ready to pay any price to neutralise the threat emanating from Afghan soil for the safety of its people.” They warned that the Afghan population would suffer due to the Taliban regime’s continued “intransigence.”

Pakistan’s core demand throughout the Istanbul dialogue remained decisive action against terrorist proxies operating from Afghanistan. However, while discussions were still underway, Pakistan’s military reported two major infiltration attempts across the Pak-Afghan border in Kurram and North Waziristan, which the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) noted occurred “while delegations of Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in talks in Turkiye.”

“This casts doubts on the intentions of the Interim Afghan government regarding its commitment to addressing terrorism emanating from its soil,” the military stated.

Dawn reported that the Istanbul talks followed the October 19 Doha ceasefire mediated by Qatar, which ended a week of deadly border clashes. Turkiye hosted the latest round as part of its expanded mediation role, while Qatar acted as guarantor of the truce and facilitator of dialogue.

The Pakistani delegation included senior security and intelligence officials from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Directorate of Military Operations, and the Foreign Office. The Afghan side was led by Deputy Interior Minister Mawlawi Rahmatullah Najeeb and included senior Taliban figures such as Anas Haqqani, Suhail Shaheen, Noorur Rahman Nusrat, and Abdul Qahar Balkhi.

Diplomatic sources told Dawn that Turkish and Qatari mediators were working to keep both sides engaged and prevent a complete breakdown in communication. (ANI)