The last-ditch effort to save the ongoing talks between Islamabad and Kabul is ongoing, but the Afghan Taliban’s ‘stubbornness’ still remains a major obstacle.
The second round of talks between the two countries began in Istanbul on Saturday. These talks were a continuation of the Pakistan-Afghanistan talks held in Doha on October 18 and 19 under the joint mediation of Qatar and Turkey, which resulted in a permanent ceasefire agreement after several days of border clashes.
The Doha talks followed days of clashes along the Pak-Afghan border, during which Islamabad attacked camps of the Gul Bahadur group in Afghanistan. The Doha agreement transformed an initial 48-hour ceasefire into a permanent peace and it was decided that the two sides would meet again in Istanbul to work out a mechanism for lasting peace and stability.
A senior security source said, “The talks lasted for 18 hours on the third day, during which the Afghan Taliban delegation repeatedly agreed to Pakistan’s logical and legitimate demands, namely credible and decisive action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and terrorism.”
Read More: Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s violation of Gaza peace agreement
He added that the Afghan delegation had acknowledged the core issue, but changed its position after receiving instructions from Kabul.
According to security sources, “illogical and illegal instructions from Kabul” were responsible for the failure of the talks, saying that Pakistan and the host countries “wanted to resolve complex issues with utmost seriousness and responsibility.”
A security official said that “despite the Taliban’s stubbornness, a last-ditch effort is still underway to somehow resolve the issue through logic and dialogue and the talks are now entering their final phase.”
According to sources, “Although both sides had agreed on most points, the mechanism for verifiable action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, especially the banned TTP, remains the biggest sticking point.”
The atmosphere at the talks on Monday was initially positive, with participants praising the “encouraging progress” and “serious engagement by both sides.”
However, by nightfall, the situation had again become stalemated, with participants saying the Afghan Taliban delegation was still reluctant to agree on anything in writing, especially on the issue of providing verifiable guarantees to end its patronage of the TTP.
“We had hoped that a mutual document would be signed with Afghanistan soon and a joint declaration would be issued after that, but that has not been possible yet,” a Pakistani official said.
“The host countries understand Pakistan’s concerns, but those sitting in Kabul and Kandahar are not ready to make promises,” another source admitted.
“This is a difficult stage,” another source acknowledged, reflecting growing frustration in the negotiation process.
“The Afghan side has made it clear that tension is not in anyone’s interest, we are still hopeful that these talks will yield positive results,” a member of the Afghan delegation said.
The Turkish and Qatari mediators also expressed the same hope, saying that “although the talks ended without any major progress, the fact that both sides remained engaged in the talks for three consecutive days is important,” one mediator said. “This shows that neither side wants to end the process.”
The tone of Monday’s talks was in stark contrast to Sunday’s nine-hour session, when Pakistani officials said Islamabad had presented its final position to the Taliban delegation. A senior security official said that “Pakistan has made it clear that the Afghan Taliban’s continued sponsorship of terrorists is unacceptable.”
