ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed a desire to hold the dialogue again with the Afghan Taliban and said “if they see a viable opportunity for talks, we cannot say no to our friends.” He also thanked and praised Türkiye and Qatar for their diplomatic support.
While talking to Geo News, the minister showed his thanks to and praised both Türkiye and Qatar for their continuous diplomatic support and called the Turkish government and people “true friends and benefactors of Pakistan.”
Asif said that if friends see an opportunity and bring it up then talks could be held. “If after reaching an understanding with Kabul they are offering something, we cannot refuse our brothers,” he added.
Khawaja Asif also pointed out how he highly appreciated the personal involvement of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in making the talks happen and mentioned that Ankara’s role in building communication between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained very important.
Regarding the negotiations, Khawaja Asif conceded that the Taliban had only given their words on certain issues but were reluctant to write them down. He went on to say, “The Kabul government is not a single entity which makes the situation more difficult.”
Looking back on his statement when the Taliban seized Kabul, Asif said, “I regret the statement I made at that time.”
On the home front, the minister informed that after the 27th Constitutional Amendment a 28th Amendment is also in the pipeline to take care of the issues that have been left aside.
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Sources from the diplomatic circles are confirming that there have been several rounds of talks held between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Qatar and later in Türkiye but the process was halted because of the Taliban’s refusal to provide written guarantees for the key issues.
Pak-Afghan talks fail, reconciliation efforts end: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
On November 6, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul, Turkey, have reached a complete deadlock.
He mentioned that there is currently no plan for the next round of talks with Afghanistan.
Khawaja Asif expressed gratitude towards Turkey and Qatar for their sincere efforts as mediators, noting that both countries are supportive of Pakistan’s position. He emphasised that the Afghan delegation insisted on verbal commitments, which he deemed insufficient.
According to Asif, final agreements made during international talks must be documented in writing. While the Afghan delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s stance during discussions, they were unwilling to put their agreement in writing.
