Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed in Istanbul after four days of negotiations, Pakistan’s information minister said before dawn Wednesday, accusing the Taliban government in Kabul of refusing to act against militants blamed for deadly cross-border attacks.
The talks followed an earlier round in Doha that produced a ceasefire on Oct. 19 after deadly border clashes between the two sides left dozens dead, including soldiers, civilians and militants.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring militants linked to a surge in attacks, while Kabul denies its territory is being used against Pakistan.
Before dawn Wednesday, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar took to social media platform X, saying the dialogue “failed to bring about any workable solution,” despite mediation by Qatar and Turkey. There was no immediate comment from Kabul about Tarar’s remarks.
The latest development came hours after the state media in both countries said there was an impasse in the talks, with the state media from the both sides blaming each other for the failure to reach a deal.
Earlier, on Tuesday, three Pakistani security officials who had direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that there was a deadlock in the talks in Istanbul over the reluctance of Kabul in accepting demands about assurances that Afghan soil not be used against Pakistan.
According to the Pakistani officials, the Taliban delegation was “not fully willing” to accept Pakistan’s proposals and continued to seek guidance from Kabul before making decisions.
Posted by John3262005
1 Comment
Well that’s peachy