ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani delegation has made it clear to Afghan officials that there will be “no compromise” on Islamabad’s demands related to “cross-border terrorism,” a Pakistani security official said on Monday, following talks between the two sides in Istanbul.
The talks in Istanbul, which began on Saturday, mark the latest attempt by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a relapse into violence after deadly border skirmishes between the neighbors this month killed dozens of people on both sides.
Clashes erupted between the neighbors earlier this month after Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Kabul following the killing of a dozen Pakistani soldiers. The skirmishes and strikes continued intermittently before a ceasefire was reached in Doha on Oct. 19. Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan to rein in militants on its soil and prevent them from carrying out attacks against it. Kabul denies the allegations.
In the talks held in Istanbul, Islamabad presented its “final position” to the Afghan side that the “ongoing patronage of terrorists by the Afghan Taliban is unacceptable,” according to the Pakistani security official. Islamabad demanded Kabul take “concrete, verifiable” steps against militant groups, mainly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). There was no immediate comment from the Afghan side on the discussions.
