mediation visit
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi indicated onFriday that the continued lack of cooperation from the Taliban regime inKabul appears to be the primary reason behind the postponement of along-awaited high-level delegation from Turkiye that was expected tomediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The visit, initially announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoganduring his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines ofthe SCO summit in Baku last month, was seen as a significant diplomaticinitiative to ease mounting tensions between Islamabad and the AfghanTaliban administration. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Irfan Nezirogluhad earlier confirmed to journalists that the delegation would comprisesenior officials, including the head of Turkish intelligence and keyministers who previously played a central role in the Istanbul trilateralprocess on Afghanistan.
Speaking at his weekly media briefing, Andrabi acknowledged that schedulingdifficulties could also be a contributing factor but emphasised thatPakistan would not reconsider its decision to keep the Afghan borderlargely sealed until Kabul provides concrete guarantees against thecross-border movement of terrorists and criminal elements. He described thethreat as extending beyond the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan andTaliban-affiliated militants, pointing out that Afghan nationals have beenimplicated in multiple serious crimes on Pakistani soil in recent months.
The spokesperson stressed that the indefinite border closure must be viewedwithin the wider context of national security imperatives rather than as apunitive measure alone. He noted that the limited reopening of the Torkhamand Chaman crossings on Thursday was exclusively for humanitarian purposesand did not signal any broader relaxation of restrictions.
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Pakistan has repeatedly urged the interim Afghan government to takedecisive action against terrorist sanctuaries on its territory, a demandthat remains unmet despite several high-level exchanges. The anticipatedTurkish mediation effort by Ankara, a country regarded as havingconsiderable influence in Kabul, was therefore considered crucial forde-escalation. The continued delay has raised questions about the prospectsfor near-term improvement in bilateral relations, which have deterioratedsharply since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1875432
Tags: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkiye, Taliban, Foreign Office, Torkham, TTP
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