Afghanistan-Pakistan Peace Talks Collapse Amid Mutual Accusations

Talks mediated by Qatar and Turkiye aimed at resolving tensions between Afghanistan’s Taliban government and Pakistan have concluded without a resolution in Istanbul. The Taliban has publicly attributed the failure to an “irresponsible” attitude from Pakistan, even as both sides insist a previously agreed ceasefire will remain in effect despite recent cross-border clashes. The two-day discussions, which ended on Friday, followed reports from the Taliban of civilian casualties resulting from border skirmishes with Pakistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban government, stated that during the talks, Pakistan attempted to shift all security responsibilities onto the Afghan government without demonstrating a willingness to address Afghanistan’s or its own security concerns. Mujahid characterized Pakistan’s stance as “irresponsible and non-cooperative,” leading to a lack of tangible outcomes from the negotiations. He later reiterated that the ceasefire has not been violated by the Taliban and will continue to be honored.

While Pakistan’s government has not yet responded directly to the Taliban’s accusations, Islamabad confirmed the deadlock in talks on Friday, acknowledging that no real progress was achieved despite the Qatar-brokered ceasefire. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that Islamabad would not endorse any actions by the Taliban government that are detrimental to the Afghan people or neighboring countries. Pakistan consistently argues that Taliban authorities have not upheld their 2021 Doha peace accord commitments to counter terrorism, specifically accusing Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants responsible for numerous deadly attacks within Pakistan. These accusations have led to retaliatory air strikes by Pakistan inside Afghanistan and recent explosions in Kabul, which the Taliban blames on Pakistan.

The Taliban denies sheltering the TTP, asserting its commitment to mutual security and vowing not to allow Afghan territory to be used against any country. Mujahid stated that while the people of Pakistan are considered friends, Kabul will “firmly defend against any aggression.” The United Nations reports that recent fighting since early October has resulted in 50 civilian deaths and 447 injuries on the Afghan side, alongside five fatalities in Kabul explosions. The Pakistani army has reported 23 soldiers killed and 29 wounded in Taliban attacks, without mentioning civilian casualties. These Afghanistan-Pakistan relations remain strained, highlighting the complex security challenges in the region.

Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/8/afghanistans-taliban-blames-irresponsible-pakistan-as-peace-talks-fail