Pakistani and British Special Representatives Discuss Cross-Border Terrorism in Islamabad

According to Pakistani media reports, Muhammad Sadiq Khan and Richard Lindsay, the special representatives of Pakistan and Britain for Afghanistan, held talks today, Tuesday, January 19, in Islamabad about “cross-border terrorist attacks.” Islamabad believes that attacks by armed groups inside its territory are planned in Afghanistan and carried out in Pakistan. Pakistani media also reported that Muhammad Sadiq Khan and Richard Lindsay shared their views during the meeting on recent regional developments and widespread security concerns. The main focus of the discussions was the rising border insecurity and its implications for regional stability—a matter that has recently become one of the key challenges in relations between Islamabad and the Taliban. These talks took place amid reports from local sources that Taliban forces clashed with Pakistani troops on Monday evening, January 18, in the Maruf district of Kandahar province. According to these sources, the exact cause of the clash remains unclear, and the confrontation ended after about half an hour.