ISTANBUL: Pakistan’s Information Minister announced on Wednesday the failure of talks between the Afghan Taliban government and Pakistan following border tensions, stating that the discussions held in Istanbul also failed to produce a workable solution.
Afghanistan’s interim government has yet to release a statement regarding these talks.
The negotiations in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan began on 25 October. This was the second round of talks between the two countries.
It is worth noting that after intense border clashes, Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to a temporary ceasefire. The first round of negotiations took place in Qatar, where both countries announced a second phase of talks aimed at extending the ceasefire and establishing lasting peace.
However, after four days of negotiations in Istanbul, Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Ataullah Tarar stated late Tuesday night on the social media platform X that, in an attempt to give peace a chance and at the request of Qatar and Turkey, Pakistan held talks with the Afghan Taliban first in Doha and then in Istanbul.
He said the talks focused on a single-point agenda: preventing Afghan territory from being used as a training ground by terrorist organizations such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and taking action against such groups.
According to the minister, during the second round, the Afghan Taliban delegation repeatedly agreed to Pakistan’s logical and legitimate demand for credible and decisive action against extremist organizations and terrorists.
The Pakistani minister said that although Pakistan provided irrefutable evidence, which was acknowledged by both the Afghan Taliban and the host countries facilitating the talks, the Afghan side did not provide any assurances and continuously deviated from the key issue that had initiated the negotiations.
Ata Tarar accused the Afghan Taliban of blame-shifting, delaying tactics, and cunning maneuvers instead of taking responsibility, which led to the talks failing to produce a workable solution.
He added that since the Taliban took control of Kabul, Pakistan has repeatedly engaged with them over cross-border terrorism by extremist groups and has consistently urged the Taliban government to honor the written commitments made to Pakistan and the international community under the Doha agreement. However, Pakistan’s efforts proved futile due to the Afghan Taliban’s continued support for anti-Pakistan terrorist elements.
He further stated that after enduring four years of significant human and financial losses, Pakistan’s patience has run out. The safety of the Pakistani people remains of utmost importance, and Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens from terrorism, deploying all available resources to eliminate terrorists, their hideouts, sponsors, and supporters.
Ata Tarar criticized the Taliban government, stating that it bears no responsibility toward the Afghan people and thrives on a war economy. He said the Taliban seeks to drag Afghan citizens into unnecessary conflicts, whereas Pakistan has always wished for peace and prosperity for the Afghan people. Despite repeated negotiations, the Taliban has consistently acted indifferent to Pakistan’s interests.
The Information Minister also thanked Qatar and Turkey for facilitating the talks and expressed Pakistan’s gratitude to both countries and other friendly nations for their sincere efforts toward regional prosperity, security, and the peaceful resolution of issues.
