Pakistan has conveyed its final position to the Afghan Taliban during key negotiations held in Türkiye’s city of Istanbul, making it clear that Islamabad rejects any support or shelter extended to terrorist groups, security sources said on Sunday.

According to the sources, the Pakistani delegation told the Taliban representatives that concrete and verifiable steps were required to eliminate terrorism.

The delegation dismissed the Taliban’s arguments as illogical and detached from ground realities.

Taliban following a different agenda

“Pakistan can see that the Taliban are following a different agenda — one that is not in the interest of stability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or the region,” the sources said, adding that further progress in the talks would depend on a positive and constructive response from the Taliban.

Talks between the two sides continued on Sunday, with discussions focused on preventing terrorist activities from Afghan soil.

Both sides also deliberated on making the verification and monitoring mechanism more effective, sources said.

Relocation of TTP

Diplomatic sources revealed that during the earlier rounds of talks, the Taliban had proposed relocating members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to new areas, a suggestion Pakistan rejected.

Islamabad demanded that the Taliban take decisive action against the TTP and fulfil commitments made to the international community.

Pakistan maintained that attacks from Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan terrorists must stop under all circumstances and that Afghan territory must not be used against Pakistan.

Effective counterterror measures

Pakistan’s delegation emphasised that the counterterrorism mechanism must be clear, robust, and effective, saying the process could only move forward if this key demand was met.

Islamabad also warned that if its concerns were not adequately addressed, it would show “no flexibility,” while reiterating its desire to promote good neighbourly and brotherly relations with Afghanistan.

However, it stated that Pakistan reserves the right to take all necessary measures to ensure its national security.

The Pakistani delegation included senior military, intelligence, and foreign ministry officials, while the Afghan Taliban side was led by the deputy interior minister.

Proposals exchanged

The sources said the two delegations exchanged proposals, facilitated by mediators present at the talks.

Earlier, the second round of Pakistan-Afghanistan negotiations, hosted by Türkiye, concluded after nine hours of deliberations.

Both delegations reviewed progress on the points agreed during the first round held in Doha.

The Afghan delegation was led by Deputy Interior Minister Rahmatullah Mujib, while Qatar participated in the process as a co-mediator alongside Türkiye.

It is worth noting that the first round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks, held in Doha under the mediation of Qatar and Türkiye, resulted in a temporary ceasefire agreement between the two sides.

Asif warns of open conflict

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters in Sialkot that Pakistan was fully prepared for open conflict if the negotiations failed.

He said that members of the Afghan delegation attending the talks were “the same people who grew up in Pakistan,” adding that while Pakistan had hosted Afghan refugees for 40 years, no one would now be allowed to enter without a visa.

Asif said India is waging a proxy war against Pakistan through Afghan territory, warning that Islamabad was ready to go to any extent to defend its borders.

Turning point in relations

The ongoing talks are being viewed as a crucial turning point in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.

While efforts continue to end cross-border terrorism and ensure regional stability, observers warn that failure to reach an agreement could trigger renewed tensions in the region.