NEW DELHI: The third round of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended on saturday without any agreement on tackling cross-border terrorism, with both sides trading blame for the collapse of negotiations. Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Saturday accused Pakistan of adopting an “irresponsible and uncooperative” stance during the two-day talks held in Istanbul under the mediation of Qatar and Turkiye.“During the discussions, the Pakistani side attempted to shift all responsibility for its security to the Afghan government, while showing no willingness to take responsibility for either Afghanistan’s security or its own,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on social media.The negotiations, aimed at addressing Pakistan’s concerns over attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Afghan territory, failed to produce a breakthrough after Kabul refused to give a written commitment to act against the group, according to Pakistani officials.Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif said the talks had been suspended indefinitely. “There is a complete deadlock. The negotiations have entered an indefinite phase,” Asif told a private TV channel, adding that “there is no programme for the fourth round of talks.”Asif thanked Qatar and Turkiye for their mediation efforts but said even the facilitators had lost optimism. “They support our stance. Even the Afghan delegation agreed with us; however, they were not ready to sign a written agreement. They wanted verbal assurances to be accepted, which is not possible in international negotiations,” he said.He reiterated that Pakistan would only recognise a formal, written accord. “If there is any attack from Afghan soil, we will respond accordingly. As long as there is no aggression, the ceasefire will remain intact,” Asif said.The breakdown in talks marks another setback for efforts to ease tensions between the two neighbours, who have seen repeated border clashes and escalating mistrust since early October.Mediation efforts falter amid renewed border tensionsThe breakdown came as tensions flared along the border, with both sides accusing each other of overnight shelling that left four Afghan civilians dead and several others wounded. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the stalemate, saying that “the onus lies on the Afghan Taliban to fulfil its long-standing international, regional, and bilateral pledges regarding control of terrorism, in which so far they have failed.”“Pakistan does not harbour any ill-will against the Afghan people. However, it shall never support the Afghan Taliban regime’s any measures that are detrimental to the interests of the Afghan people as well as the neighbouring countries,” Tarar wrote on X, stressing that Islamabad will “continue to safeguard its citizens and sovereignty.”
Ceasefire holds despite clashes
The talks were the latest in a series of mediation efforts since October, when cross-border fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces left dozens dead on both sides. A Qatar-brokered ceasefire on October 19 has largely held, though sporadic clashes have continued.Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harbouring TTP militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, a claim Kabul denies. Afghan officials, in turn, accuse Islamabad of initiating the latest round of border clashes.The Afghan side, led by intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, and Pakistan’s delegation, headed by Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, had met in Istanbul to salvage the truce, but the discussions yielded no progress.
Background of escalating tensions
Tensions between the two neighbours have escalated since early October, following explosions in Kabul and Paktika that Afghanistan blamed on Pakistan. Both sides have since exchanged artillery fire and traded accusations of harbouring militants.In recent months, Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks claimed by the TTP, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations and the United States. The TTP, though separate, is closely allied with the Afghan Taliban, with many of its leaders believed to be operating from within Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.With the latest round of peace talks collapsing, both nations now face renewed uncertainty over how to prevent further cross-border violence, despite international mediation and repeated calls for restraint.
