ISTANBUL: The second round of peace negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended in Istanbul on Friday but discussions are expected to last for another two days. The talks which hosted by Turkey are a sequel to the first round held in Doha and take place against a backdrop of increased tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The second round of Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks wrapped up in Istanbul, and the delegations are expected to keep their discussion for another two days. The talks, facilitated by Turkey, are the follow-up to the first round in Doha and are happening despite the escalation of the conflict in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The two sides resolved their issues at a local Istanbul hotel representatives of government administrations at the highest level. Pakistan sent seven delegates to the talks, among them were people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the security departments, whereas the Afghan delegation was composed of six members, Deputy Interior Minister Rahmatullah Mujib, the head, accompanied by the officials from the Afghan embassy in Qatar, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the talks, Pakistan outlined its position that it would not tolerate any such groups as Fitna al-Khawarij and other terrorist organizations. The sources said the talks were centered on the security situation on both sides of the border, the means of ensuring the security through monitoring, and the efforts that would be made to achieve peace and stability in the region.
As a result of the initial round of talks in Doha, a ceasefire, albeit a temporary one, was agreed upon at the request of the Afghan Taliban. The meeting in Istanbul is intended to determine the final details of the comprehensive mechanism for monitoring and preventing attacks from Afghan soil.
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On the other hand, the fighting at the border seem to be going on forever, with no end to the clashes in sight. It is the 14th day in a row that the main crossings at Chaman, Khyber, North and South Waziristan, and Kurram have been closed. There are also hundreds of cargo trucks at Torkham, Bab-e-Dosti, Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan, which are waiting to be allowed to enter Pakistan.
The border talks in Istanbul are considered a very important step towards lessening of the violence at the border and better security cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan,bilaterally.
