Crucial diplomatic negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, held over four days in Istanbul, have ended inconclusively, casting a shadow over bilateral relations. Sources close to the matter suggest that the Pakistani delegation walked away from the talks after failing to reach common ground on fundamental issues, thereby halting progress.
The Istanbul meetings were intended to de-escalate tensions that flared up following alleged Pakistani incursions into Afghan airspace earlier in the month, a situation that had previously necessitated a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
Afghanistan’s representatives reaffirmed their commitment to preventing cross-border terrorism originating from their territory. Simultaneously, they stipulated that Pakistan must cease its aerial intrusions and halt drone surveillance activities within Afghanistan. These conditions, however, were reportedly unacceptable to the Pakistani side.
The core of the impasse appears to be Pakistan’s demand for Afghanistan to formally label the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a terrorist entity and to initiate military operations against it. Afghanistan’s Defense Minister dismissed this, asserting that the ‘terrorism’ designation is sometimes employed for political motivations.
This breakdown occurred despite Pakistan’s earlier warnings that military options might be considered if dialogue failed. Afghanistan, on the other hand, continued to advocate for diplomatic solutions, underscoring the significant chasm in their respective strategies for addressing regional security concerns.