According to credible sources, the negotiations held in Turkey between the delegations of Pakistan and Afghanistan concluded without achieving any tangible outcome.
What stood out most was that the Pakistani delegation seemed ill-prepared and unfamiliar with the norms of formal negotiation. Their discussions were often unfocused and, at times, marked by disrespectful conduct and inappropriate language.
Even the mediators—representatives from Qatar and Turkey—were reportedly astonished by the Pakistani team’s demeanor, attitude, and lack of diplomatic discipline. In informal exchanges, they confided to the Afghan delegation that “you are indeed dealing with very bad neighbor.”
Below are several key points from the proceedings of the Turkey talks, as obtained from reliable and independent sources:
• All agenda items had been finalized except for one, which remained under discussion. It was during deliberations on this final point that the Pakistani side, through rude and improper behavior, disrupted and derailed the meeting.
• The Pakistani delegation appeared to have completely lost its composure and diplomatic decorum at the negotiating table. Their use of disparaging language and unprofessional tone deeply upset the mediators from Turkey and Qatar.
• The head of the Pakistani delegation, who reportedly behaved very poorly, demanded that the Afghan side summon to its territory and assume control over all groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan.”
This demand—that Afghanistan should call back and control TTP—astonished the mediators. They questioned how a state could reasonably expect another sovereign government to take responsibility for insurgent groups that are, in fact, its own nationals?
The Afghan delegation responded: Those individuals are not affiliated with us; they are citizens of your country. How can we summon your nationals and militant groups into our territory and assume responsibility for them?
• Another demand from Pakistan was that if the TTP carries out any attack inside Pakistan, they would take revenge from Afghanistan.
The Afghan delegation replied that security incidents inside Pakistan are the responsibility of its own military and law enforcement institutions. Afghanistan, they emphasized, is committed only to ensuring that no attacks are launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.
• The Pakistani side asked for guarantees that Afghanistan would control all groups that organize attacks from Afghan soil into Pakistan.
The Afghan delegation agreed in principle, stating: We will not allow anyone to use our soil to attack Pakistan. However, in return, Pakistan must also provide assurances that it will not violate Afghanistan’s airspace, nor permit U.S. drone aircraft to operate from its territory and airspace in violation of Afghan sovereignty. Furthermore, Daesh operating from Pakistani territory must not carry out attacks inside Afghanistan.
Initially, the Pakistani delegation accepted this reciprocal arrangement. However, after receiving a phone call during the session, they reversed their position upon returning to the table, claiming that Pakistan could not prevent U.S. drone operations nor provide guarantees regarding Daesh activities.
• Another noteworthy moment occurred when the Afghan delegation raised concerns over the use of Pakistani airspace by U.S. drones. The head of the Pakistani delegation, General Shahab Aslam, abruptly interjected, saying, “This issue should not be discussed.”
At this point, the Qatari Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mr. Mirdaf—who was present as a mediator—intervened, saying: “General, please allow the discussion to continue. This is a legitimate Afghan concern.” General Shahab responded: The American drones that enter Afghanistan through our airspace take off from your base in Qatar—why don’t you stop them there?
The Qatari ambassador calmly replied: We have an agreement with the United States in this regard.
General Shahab countered: “So do we,” (implicitly confirming that Pakistan has a similar understanding with the United States allowing drone flights that violate Afghan airspace).
For now, the negotiation process has been suspended. Readers may draw their own conclusions from these accounts—determining who is truly responsible for muddying the waters and then attempting to fish in them.
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