Afghanistan and Pakistan have restarted peace talks in Istanbul after initially ending without agreement. This new round of talks was prompted by mediators from Turkey and Qatar to prevent border clashes that have resulted in numerous deaths. A Pakistani security official stated that Pakistan is demanding that Afghanistan take action against Islamist militants who are using its territory to attack Pakistan.
According to a source close to the Afghan Taliban, many issues between the two countries have been resolved, but some of Pakistan’s requests require more time to reach an agreement. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban, a group that conducts attacks against Pakistan, while Afghanistan denies having control over them.
Recent violence has escalated along the border, the worst since the Taliban took over in 2021, following Pakistani airstrikes targeting leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul. Both countries had previously agreed to a ceasefire on October 19, but could not reach a consensus in later talks. Clashes have continued, resulting in casualties on both sides. On Thursday, Pakistan announced the killing of a deputy leader of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border, seen as a significant success in its ongoing fight against the insurgent group.
With information from Reuters