Pakistan and Afghan officials meet in Istanbul on Oct 25 for talks aimed at reducing terror activity and border clashes.
Islamabad seeks a “verifiable monitoring mechanism” to stop attacks from Afghan soil by TTP and BLA militants.
Both sides reaffirmed commitment to regional peace, with Qatar and Turkiye mediating the dialogue.
Pakistan, Afghanistan to Hold Second Round of Border Security Talks in Turkey
After the Doha meeting eased tensions, officials from both nations will reconvene in Istanbul to curb cross-border terrorism and strengthen monitoring measures.
Summary
In an effort to reduce terrorist activity in Afghan territory and find a diplomatic solution to border tensions, Pakistan and Afghan officials are scheduled to meet in Turkey on Saturday for the second round of negotiations.
Following the initial round of talks in Doha on October 19, there was a brief return of peace along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Qatar and Turkiye facilitated the conversation, and the two countries had decided to reconvene in Istanbul on October 25 to resume talks on issues related to mutual security.
In a statement released on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi affirmed that the agreed-upon discussions would go according to plan.
At the next conference, which Turkiye will host in Istanbul, Pakistan also hopes to build a "concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism to address the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan and prevent any further loss of life of Pakistanis," he said.
Andrabi highlighted that Pakistan does not seek escalation because it is a responsible state dedicated to regional peace and stability.
He did, however, call on the Afghan Taliban leadership to keep their promises to the world community and to take concrete steps against terrorist organisations that operate within Afghan borders.
Andrabi restated Pakistan's call for action against the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The spokesperson praised Qatar and Turkiye for their positive contributions to the initiative and hailed the Doha meeting's outcome as a "first step" towards guaranteeing peace and security in the region.
Andrabi said that the previous discussions centred on taking quick action to stop cross-border terrorism against Pakistan and to bring peace and stability back to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Afghan interim administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also confirmed the Istanbul talks, saying the Afghan delegation would be led by Mawlawi Rahmatullah Najeeb, deputy minister at the Ministry of Interior.
Advertisement
"The remaining issues (with Pakistan) will be discussed in the meeting," Mujahid said in a social media post.
Pakistan has witnessed a renewed wave of militant attacks since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to rein in the TTP militants using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan, but with limited success.
The growing mistrust has led to repeated clashes along the 2,611-km-long border, known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan does not officially recognise.
With PTI input.
Published At: