Afghan and Pakistani negotiators were to meet in Istanbul yesterday to address security issues and establish a lasting ceasefire along their shared border after an outbreak of unexpectedly intense bloody clashes.
Negotiators are expected to detail the “mechanisms” for ensuring the return to stability. It was not clear when the talks would begin nor where they were meeting in Istanbul.
The Afghan delegation, which left for Turkey on Friday, is to be led by its Deputy Minister for Administrative Affairs Haji Najib.
Photo: AFP
Islamabad has not said who it sent for the talks.
For the Taliban government, the goal is to ensure Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.
For Islamabad, the negotiations must address “the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan,” Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi said.
The clashes — which resulted in dozens of deaths — began two weeks ago following explosions in central Kabul, which the Taliban government blamed on its Pakistani neighbor, launching a retaliatory offensive at the border.
Vowing a strong response, Islamabad then carried out “precision strikes” against armed groups on Afghan soil which are at the heart of the dispute, security sources said.
After further clashes that left soldiers and civilians dead, both sides declared a 48-hour ceasefire which collapsed two days later, with Kabul blaming Islamabad. A second truce took shape on Sunday last week following talks in Doha, thanks to mediation by Qatar and Turkey, which appears to have held, although the terms remained unclear.
Security issues are at the heart of recurring bilateral tensions. Facing a resurgence of attacks against its security forces, Islamabad has repeatedly accused its Afghan neighbor of “harboring” groups it views as “terrorist,” primarily the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) — a charge Kabul denies.
Throughout the confrontation, Islamabad demanded that the Taliban authorities “regain control” over fighters present on Afghan soil.
From the Pakistani perspective, this would be key to the Istanbul talks, International Crisis Group analyst Ibraheem Bahiss said.
“The meeting in Istanbul is going to be quite essential, because that’s where the so-called mechanism would be agreed on in terms of when Pakistan has concerns that anti-Pakistan elements inside Afghanistan are doing things against Pakistan,” he said.
Such “mechanisms” could involve intelligence sharing on armed groups, he added.
“For example, Pakistan would give coordinates of where they suspect TTP fighters or commanders are, and instead of carrying out strikes, Afghanistan would be expected to carry out action against them,” he said.
Turkey has not confirmed any details about yesterday’s meeting beyond hailing their joint decision in Doha “to establish mechanisms to strengthen peace and stability” and pledging to “continue to support the efforts” to achieve that.
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