Minister: Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks end in failure

Efforts to secure a lasting peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan have collapsed, with Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirming that the Istanbul talks ended without a “workable solution.” 

“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue, evading the key point upon which the dialogue process was initiated,” Tarar said in an official statement. “Instead of accepting any responsibility, the Afghan Taliban resorted to blame game, deflection and ruses. The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution,” he added, Geo News reports.

Update on Pakistan - Afghanistan Dialogue, Istanbul - October 2025

Ever since the assumption of control in Kabul, Pakistan has repeatedly engaged with the Afghan Taliban Regime regarding persistent cross border terrorism by Indian-abetted Fitna al Khwarij (TTP) and Indian proxy,…

— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) October 28, 2025

The talks, mediated by Türkiye and Qatar, were intended to build on a temporary ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 19. However, sources from both countries said that the discussions ended without progress, with each side accusing the other of derailing the dialogue. Afghanistan’s foreign and defence ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to Pakistani security officials, the Afghan Taliban refused to commit to restraining the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — a militant group hostile to Islamabad and accused of operating freely from Afghan soil. An Afghan source described the talks as “tense,” claiming Kabul’s delegation insisted it had “no control over the Pakistani Taliban,” who have intensified attacks against Pakistani forces in recent weeks.

Security sources further revealed that the Afghan negotiators “kept taking directions from Kabul” and repeatedly consulted the Afghan administration, causing delays. “The delegation appears to be under Kabul’s control, creating delays in progress,” they said. Mediators reportedly recognized Pakistan’s demands as “reasonable and legitimate,” with Afghan negotiators privately acknowledging that Islamabad’s counterterrorism requests were justified.

The breakdown in talks follows escalating border tensions. Hostilities erupted earlier this month when Pakistan launched air strikes targeting Taliban and TTP positions in Kabul, Kandahar, and along the border. The strikes, aimed at eliminating the TTP’s leadership, prompted retaliatory attacks by Taliban fighters on Pakistani military posts along the 2,600-kilometre frontier.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred in the clashes, while Pakistan’s counterstrikes killed over 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants. The military said “precision strikes” in Kandahar, Kabul, and Pakistan’s Waziristan region destroyed multiple militant strongholds.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister warned that failure to reach an understanding in Istanbul could lead to “open war,” despite Islamabad’s continued belief that Afghanistan seeks peace. However, with renewed violence and diplomatic strain, the path to a sustainable truce appears increasingly uncertain.

By Vafa Guliyeva