Assalamualaikum - Pakistan denies refusing Afghan offer to hand over militants discussed in Istanbul talks
Assalamualaikum. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday said it did not reject an Afghan proposal to hand over militants who target Pakistani civilians and security forces during talks in Istanbul, calling reports to the contrary a misrepresentation after an Afghan media outlet attributed such a statement to a senior Kabul official.
The two neighbours had deadly border clashes last month that killed dozens on both sides before agreeing to a fragile cease-fire during peace talks mediated by Qatar and Türkiye. Pakistan has long accused elements in Afghanistan of sheltering fighters who carry out cross-border attacks, urging Kabul not to allow its territory to be used by armed groups. Afghanistan has historically denied those allegations, describing Pakistan’s security concerns as an internal matter.
Pakistani officials said the Istanbul meeting focused on one main point: firm and verifiable measures against militants on Afghan soil. But an Afghan outlet quoted the Taliban administration’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, saying Pakistan refused its proposal “to expel individuals whom Islamabad considers a threat,” also claiming Pakistan was trying to “create conditions for the United States to retake the Bagram Air Base.”
The Ministry of Information called that a deliberate distortion of facts. It said Pakistan had requested that terrorists in Afghanistan who posed a threat to Pakistan be controlled or arrested. When the Afghan side identified some of those individuals as Pakistani nationals, Pakistan immediately suggested they be handed over at designated border posts, in line with Pakistan’s longstanding position. The ministry said any report suggesting otherwise was false and misleading.
The Afghan spokesperson’s remarks came a day after Islamabad’s foreign office said Kabul’s negotiating team had acknowledged the presence of anti-Pakistan militants on its soil. Pakistan’s spokesperson, Tahir Hussain Andrabi, said Afghan authorities had given various reasons for not taking action against those militants, reinforcing Pakistan’s security concerns.
The two countries have agreed to extend the cease-fire with a monitoring and verification mechanism set up with the help of the mediators. The next round of talks is due to take place in Istanbul on Nov. 6. Wa alaikum assalam.
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