ISLAMABAD: Afghan media reports that Kabul is set to host a new round of indirect talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime are false, according to diplomatic sources, with no talks currently scheduled between the two sides.
Afghanistan’s TOLOnews published a false news story under the headline “Kabul to Host Indirect Afghanistan-Pakistan Talks”, which cited unnamed sources as saying that the next round of informal talks between Kabul and Islamabad was expected to take place in the Afghan capital.
The report further claimed that the talks had originally been planned before Eid al-Adha but were postponed because of unspecified challenges.
However, there has been no confirmation from Pakistan regarding any planned talks in Kabul.
Diplomatic sources said that no Pakistani delegation is currently scheduled to travel to Afghanistan for such negotiations.
The claim comes amid strained relations between Islamabad and the Taliban regime in Kabul.
Earlier rounds of talks between the two sides have mainly focused on Pakistan’s longstanding concerns regarding the presence of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban regime to take concrete and effective action against TTP terrorists and dismantle terrorist sanctuaries operating from Afghan territory.
Previous rounds of talks have failed to produce an agreement due to the Taliban regime’s failure to provide assurances of effective action against the terrorist groups on Afghanistan’s soil.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks.
The northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, have witnessed the highest number of terrorist attacks.
The TTP terrorist group has intensified attacks targeting Pakistani security forces, government installations and civilians.
Pakistani officials have consistently maintained that TTP terrorists are using Afghan territory to plan, organise and launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent Afghan soil from being used by terrorist groups against neighbouring countries.
In response to cross-border terrorist attacks, Pakistan has launched a large-scale counterterrorism campaign targeting terrorist groups to eliminate the menace.
So, the claim that Kabul is preparing to host a new round of indirect Pakistan-Afghan Taliban talks is false.
