In deference to Turkiye's request, Pakistan agreed to continue the talks with the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul. A meeting of the Pakistani and Afghan principals (possibly defence ministers) on November 6 is likely to yield a compromise that has bedevilled the dialogue process so far.

Turkiye's Foreign Office statement gave the encouraging news that "all parties agreed to continuation of ceasefire", and "put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party". However, whether the Taliban regime officials agree to provide written assurances on a "monitoring and verification mechanism" remains to be seen.

Earlier, during the meeting between the officials of the two countries, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif's blunt warning to the Taliban to provide verifiable guarantees on the TTP caused ripples in Afghan circles. Meanwhile, the Taliban's ‘ignorance’ about the TTP's presence or activities had no takers. In this day and age, nothing can be hidden, so why claim that there are no TTP guys in Afghanistan or that ISKP cadres are in Pakistan, not in Afghanistan?

The UN, international NGOs, including Amnesty International, report clearly the existence of these terrorist organisations in Afghanistan. Not to forget that the prominent figures of the Taliban leadership are still on the 1267 travel list.

The Istanbul talks brought home three points about the Taliban's modus operandi towards their interlocutors. First, the decision-making process of the Taliban regime is highly centralised; nothing moves without the consent of Amir Ul Momeneen Mullah Haibtullah........

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