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Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks end with ‘no workable solution’
The talks were aimed at reaching lasting peace between the two countries after dozens were killed along their border in recent violence.
Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said on Wednesday that talks aimed at securing a long-term truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan concluded in Istanbul without a "workable solution", in a blow for peace in the region after deadly clashes this month.
The talks were aimed at reaching lasting peace between the neighbours after dozens were killed along their border in the worst such violence since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021. The talks had begun on October 25 but could not result in a lasting peace, putting the whole region on edge.
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“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue, evading the key point upon which the dialogue process was initiated,” Tarar said in a statement early on Wednesday.
"Instead of accepting any responsibility, the Afghan Taliban resorted to a blame game, deflection and ruses. The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution," the statement added.
Both nations agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 19but could not find common ground in a second round of talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar in Istanbul. Each blamed the other for the failure.
A Pakistani security source told Reuters that the Taliban had been unwilling to commit to rein in the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that Islamabad says operates with impunity inside Afghanistan.
A Taliban source quoted in the report said they had ended after "tense exchanges" over the issue, adding that the Afghan side said it had no control over the said militant group, which has launched attacks against Pakistani troops in recent weeks.
The clashes and what the future holds
The October clashes began after Pakistani air strikes on Kabul, among other locations, targeting the head of the TTP. The Taliban responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600-km (1,600 miles) border.
Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, had said on Saturday that he believed Afghanistan wanted peace but that failure to reach an agreement in Istanbul would mean "open war".
Despite a ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban, weekend clashes killed five Pakistani soldiers and 25 Pakistani Taliban militants near the border with Afghanistan, the military said on Sunday.
