Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan wrapped up in Istanbul without reaching any agreement on Saturday, AP reported. Officials from both sides blamed each other after two days of talks aimed at easing border tensions and keeping the ceasefire in place.
Afghan officials claimed four civilians were killed and five were wounded in cross-border fighting the night before the talks fell apart. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the Afghan delegation arrived with no written plan and offered only verbal promises.
Taliban warns Pakistan as peace talks collapse
The border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have worsened in recent weeks. The clashes began after explosions in Kabul on October 9. Afghanistan’s Taliban government said those were drone strikes by Pakistan and said it would respond. After weeks of violence, Qatar helped both sides agree on a ceasefire on October 19. That truce still holds, but it is weak.
Afghanistan’s government spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said Pakistan made unreasonable demands. He told reporters the meeting ended, and talks are now on hold. “Pakistan’s demands in the negotiations were unreasonable and the talks could not proceed, the meeting ended and the talks are at a standstill for now,” Mujahid said, according to the Associated Press.
Mujahid claimed Afghanistan does not want war, but “if war breaks out, we have the right to defend ourselves.” He also said Afghanistan will not let anyone use its land to attack other countries. “Afghanistan will not allow anyone to use its territory against another country, nor permit actions that undermine its sovereignty or security.”
Meanwhile, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan will not accept verbal-only agreements and that there is no hope for a fourth round of talks. “They said they would respect a verbal agreement, but there is no room for that,” he said. “There is no plan or hope for any fourth round of talks. Talks have entered an indefinite pause,” he said, according to AP.
Pakistan says talks are over for now
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News the talks were over and Pakistan’s delegation was going home. He said the Pakistani side would not plan any more meetings for now. Asif added that the ceasefire would continue as long as Afghanistan did not break it.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s leaders of supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has carried out many attacks inside Pakistan since 2021. The Taliban in Kabul deny this and say they do not allow attacks from Afghan soil. Mujahid said the TTP existed long before the Taliban took power and dismissed claims that Afghanistan controls the group’s actions.
Three days earlier, Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif warned the Taliban that if talks failed, “only war will happen.” He said this during a TV interview, but also claimed he is hopeful, the talks could find a peaceful solution.