ISTANBUL: The deadlock continues in the ongoing talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
According to TV reports, the latest round of negotiations held in Istanbul, Turkey, appears to be heading toward another stalemate.
The talks reportedly failed to yield results due to the Afghan delegation’s rigid stance, preventing both sides from reaching a written agreement on counterterrorism measures.
Pakistan expressed gratitude to Qatar and Turkey for their mediation efforts. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Atta Tarar, stated that the responsibility for eliminating terrorism rests with Afghanistan.
He added that Pakistan maintains goodwill toward the Afghan people and sincerely wishes for their peaceful future.
However, Afghanistan has failed to fulfill its regional and international commitments, while Pakistan remains firm on its principled position.
Earlier, Turkey and Qatar had urged both delegations to continue the dialogue and prevented the Pakistani team from leaving Istanbul after the first inconclusive round.
Pakistan agreed to resume discussions following the mediators’ request from the two Islamic countries.
The core focus of the two rounds of talks was Pakistan’s primary demand that Afghanistan ensure its territory is not used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
Despite three consecutive days of discussions, official sources have confirmed that negotiations have once again reached a dead end after the Afghan delegation refused to provide any assurances on counterterrorism cooperation.
It is worth mentioning that the first round of the peace talk too place in Doha after the strain on the border between the two countries earlier in October.
Both the countries had agreed to the ceasefire and vowed to conduct the second round of the peace talks in Istanbul.
The second round of the peace-talks was also heading to a dead-end, however, Host Turkey and Qatar urged both the countries to continue the peace talks until the parties meet a conclusive point.
