Trump's Pledge to Rapidly Resolve Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Crisis Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to groups that cross the border for attacks.

Islamabad:

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that he will resolve the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis "very quickly," as peace negotiations between the neighboring countries continued for a second day.

The two nations are caught in an intense security dispute, with each claiming they were responding to aggression from the other during clashes that occurred earlier this month.

This recent conflict was the most deadly between them in years, representing a significant deterioration in relations while also raising concerns in a region where militant groups like al-Qaida are attempting to reemerge.

Pakistan alleges that Afghanistan ignores groups crossing the border to conduct attacks, an accusation that Afghanistan's Taliban government denies.

The second round of talks commenced in Istanbul on Saturday, aiming to transform the tenuous ceasefire established earlier this month in Doha into a sustainable peace framework and border security arrangement.

"I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up," Trump stated on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia. "But I'll get that solved very quickly."

He made these remarks while attending the Thailand-Cambodia peace agreement signing, and added that Pakistan's leaders were "great people."

The recent violence resulted in dozens of casualties and hundreds of injuries in Afghanistan, although Pakistan denied targeting civilians, stating they were striking militants and their hideouts.

On Sunday, Taliban-controlled media RTA reported that after 15 hours of "continuous discussions," Afghan representatives submitted a draft focusing on Pakistan respecting Afghanistan's territorial integrity and airspace, and preventing "any anti-Afghan group or opposition from using Pakistani territory against our country."

The proposal also expressed willingness to establish "a four-way channel to monitor the ceasefire agreement" and exchange information about violations, according to RTA.

Pakistani officials provided a second draft to the Afghan delegation on Saturday evening, RTA reported.

No Pakistani government representatives were immediately available for comment. However, Trump's statements are expected to encourage Pakistan's political and military leadership, which seeks closer relations with the White House.

Pakistan has also commended Trump for his role in defusing a crisis with India earlier this year, a claim that India has rejected.