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Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks end without agreement, Pakistan says
ISLAMABAD — Peace talks aimed at securing a long-term truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan concluded in Istanbul without a “workable solution,” Pakistan’s information minister said on Wednesday, marking a setback for regional stability after deadly border clashes earlier this month.
The dialogue, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, sought to restore lasting calm between the two South Asian neighbors following some of the worst fighting since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, which left dozens dead along the frontier.
“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue, evading the key point upon which the dialogue was initiated,” said Information Minister Attaullah Tarar in an early Wednesday statement.
“Instead of taking responsibility, the Afghan Taliban resorted to blame-shifting and deflection. The talks therefore failed to produce any workable solution,” he added.
Afghanistan’s foreign and defense ministries have not yet commented on the Pakistani minister’s statement.
Although both sides agreed to a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, negotiators failed to reach common ground in the second round of talks in Istanbul. Sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that each delegation accused the other of obstructing progress.
A Pakistani security official said the Taliban leadership had been unwilling to curb the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) — a militant group hostile to Islamabad that Pakistan claims operates freely inside Afghanistan.
An Afghan source, meanwhile, said the talks ended after “tense exchanges,” with Kabul’s representatives asserting that they had no control over the Pakistani Taliban, which has staged several recent cross-border attacks on Pakistani troops.
This month’s escalation began when Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Kabul and other areas, targeting the TTP’s top leader. The Taliban responded with a series of attacks on Pakistani military posts along the 2,600-kilometer border.
Pakistan’s defense minister warned on Saturday that while Kabul “wants peace,” the failure of the Istanbul dialogue could lead to “open war.”
Despite the ceasefire, weekend clashes killed five Pakistani soldiers and 25 TTP militants, according to the Pakistani military on Sunday.