The Pakistan Afghanistan Istanbul talks entered the third day but faced difficulties as the Afghan Taliban did not give a positive response.
According to sources, Pakistan stood firm on its logical and fair demands. However, the Afghan Taliban delegation was not ready to fully accept them.
Officials said Pakistan’s stance remains strong, reasonable, and vital for peace. Host countries also agreed that Pakistan’s demands are justified. Interestingly, even the Taliban delegation admitted that these demands are right and sensible.
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Sources revealed that the Taliban delegation was being controlled from Kabul. They kept contacting the Kabul administration and acted according to its instructions. However, the Kabul administration did not give any encouraging feedback, which caused a deadlock in the talks.
It seems that some elements in Kabul are working on a different agenda.
The Pakistani delegation clearly stated several times that accepting these demands would benefit everyone. The host countries also explained this point to the Afghan representatives.
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The third round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban is taking place in Istanbul, Turkey.
The first round was held in Doha, Qatar, where both countries agreed on a ceasefire.
The second round also took place in Istanbul a few days ago, where they reviewed the progress on the points decided earlier.
According to security sources, Pakistan shared a complete plan with Afghan officials to stop terrorism. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that the Afghan Taliban have only two choices — either live in peace or face an open war with Pakistan.
If these Pakistan Afghanistan Istanbul talks fail, it could harm the regional peace process and stability between the two neighboring countries.
