ISLAMABAD: (Web-Desk) The second crucial round of negotiations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban will be held today in Turkey, where both sides will discuss the establishment of a solid and verifiable monitoring mechanism to counter the threat of terrorism.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andarabi and Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid have confirmed the Istanbul talks. The purpose of the dialogue is to prevent terrorism emanating from Afghan soil against Pakistan and to stop further loss of Pakistani lives.
During the meeting, both sides will focus on creating a clear and verifiable monitoring framework to deal with terrorism threats. Pakistan supports the establishment of a robust and verifiable system to counter terrorism effectively.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that an Afghan delegation, led by Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najeeb, has departed for Turkey to attend the talks.
It is worth mentioning that six days ago, the first round of talks between Pakistani and Taliban delegations concluded in Doha. The Pakistani team was led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, accompanied by National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Asim Malik (Retd.), while the Afghan delegation was headed by Acting Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob and included Afghan intelligence chief Maulvi Abdul Haq.
Mediated by Qatar and Turkey, the first round resulted in a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with both sides agreeing on a joint commitment to eliminate terrorism.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andarabi, in his first weekly briefing, said that Afghan Transit Trade remains suspended until a review of the security situation is completed. He noted that the ceasefire agreed upon earlier this week in Doha has largely held firm.
He further stated that in the past two to three days, no major terrorist attack has been carried out in Pakistan from Afghan soil, which indicates that the Doha talks were indeed fruitful. “We hope this positive trend continues in Istanbul and in subsequent rounds of dialogue,” he added. Pakistan’s core expectation from the Afghan side remains unchanged — Afghan soil must not be used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
