Afghan and Pakistani negotiators will restart truce talks in Turkey to finalise monitoring mechanisms and prevent renewed border hostilities
ISTANBUL: Afghan and Pakistani negotiators will resume ceasefire talks in Turkey on Thursday to prevent renewed hostilities after their worst clashes in years.
Relations between the neighbours deteriorated with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harbouring militant groups conducting attacks in Pakistan.
Taliban authorities in Afghanistan deny these allegations.
Recent conflict erupted after October 9 explosions in Kabul which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan.
This prompted a retaliatory border offensive killing over 70 people including civilians and wounding hundreds more.
Both countries agreed to a Turkey and Qatar-mediated ceasefire on October 19 although its details remain unfinalised.
A tense negotiation round in Istanbul last week extended the ceasefire and scheduled Thursday’s follow-up meeting.
Host Turkey confirmed parties agreed to establish a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to maintain peace and penalise violators.
Negotiators will now finalise that mechanism’s details and other ceasefire implementation issues.
Mistrust remains high with both sides accusing each other of bad faith and warning of renewed fighting if the truce collapses.
Pakistani officials described Kabul as acting like a proxy of arch-rival India.
India forged close ties with the Afghan Taliban since its 2021 return to power.
The Kabul explosions coincided with India hosting UN-sanctioned Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Pakistan’s defence minister recently accused the Taliban government of “treacherous and barbaric patronisation of Indian-sponsored terrorism”.
Islamabad had historically close ties with the Taliban before its 2021 return to power.
Core disputes involve interlocking security grievances poisoning relations since 2021.
Islamabad insists Kabul must stop providing sanctuary to Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups.
Afghan officials reject these accusations and accuse Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty with strikes.
The border closure for weeks has caused significant economic losses to traders on both sides. – AFP
