ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hoping for a “positive” outcome of its next round of talks with Afghanistan in Istanbul, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Friday, a day after both sides agreed to extend their ceasefire.
The two neighbors engaged in deadly clashes this month that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead, before a temporary ceasefire was reached in Doha on Oct. 19. A second round of talks that started in Istanbul on Oct. 25 failed to reach breakthrough earlier this week, but Turkiye announced on Thursday evening that the ceasefire would continue.
The clashes erupted after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan against Pakistani Taliban militants it says are based there and responsible for attacks on its forces. Kabul condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and denies sheltering the group. The border, which runs more than 2,600 km (1,600 miles), has long been a source of friction with frequent skirmishes and mutual accusations over militant sanctuaries.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing on Friday, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad has always been desirous of peace and a stable Afghanistan, but the Pakistani armed forces stand ready to take “all possible measures to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty and ensure safety and security of its people.”
