Pakistan confronts Afghan Taliban in Istanbul for harboring terrorists

Pakistan presented concrete evidence of terrorist networks operating from Afghan soil during the second round of talks with the Afghan Taliban held in Istanbul. However, according to security sources, the Taliban delegation refused to commit to any action against these groups, leaving both the hosts and the Pakistani side frustrated by their rigid stance.

Following the earlier Doha talks, where both sides had agreed to a temporary ceasefire, the Istanbul round began on Saturday. During the session, Pakistan proposed a joint counterterrorism framework aimed at curbing cross border terrorism through mutual cooperation.

On Sunday, the Afghan Taliban submitted a reply that, according to officials, further strained the discussions as they continued to deny the existence of terrorist safe havens within Afghanistan.

The negotiations were led by Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın, who reportedly made efforts to help the Taliban delegation grasp the gravity of the situation and acknowledge their responsibility in preventing attacks against Pakistan from Afghan territory.

Amid the Taliban’s persistent denial and lack of commitment on such a serious issue, the Pakistani side made it clear that any future cross-border attacks would be met with a firm response.

Security officials said Pakistan shared multiple actionable proposals for taking measures against terrorist elements, but the Taliban “kept putting forward illogical arguments, disconnected from ground realities,” instead of showing willingness to cooperate for regional peace.

According to reports, Pakistan also presented photographs of militants carrying Afghan identity documents, a revelation that left the Taliban delegation without a clear response. The talks eventually reached a stalemate, with further progress now dependent on the Taliban’s future approach.