Talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul to broker a long-term truce have ended without a resolution, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, a blow for peace in the region after deadly clashes this month.
The talks aimed to reach lasting peace between the South Asian neighbours after dozens were killed along their border in the worst such violence since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021.
Both agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Doha on 19 October, but could not find common ground in a second round of talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar in Istanbul, Afghan and Pakistani sources briefed on the issue said, with each blaming the other for the failure.
A Pakistani security source said the Taliban had been unwilling to commit to rein in the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group hostile to Pakistan that Islamabad says operates with impunity inside Afghanistan.
An Afghan source familiar with the talks said they had ended after "tense exchanges" over the issue, adding that the Afghan side said it no control over the Pakistani Taliban, which has launched attacks against Pakistani troops in recent weeks.
The sources sought anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.
Spokespersons for Afghanistan’s Taliban government and defence ministry, and for Pakistan’s army, defence and foreign ministries, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The October clashes began after Pakistani air strikes this month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, among other locations, targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.
The Taliban responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600-km (1,600 miles) border.
The breakdown in talks that have caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, could strain the ceasefire between Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and nuclear-armed Pakistan.
On Saturday, Pakistan's defence minister said 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.
ByteDance will take steps to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property on its artificial intelligence (AI) video generator Seedance 2.0, t...
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Monday ahead of a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, accordi...
Azerbaijan and Serbia have formally launched a Strategic Partnership Council, marking a new phase in bilateral relations and placing cooperation under...
The United States has carried out its first air transport of a nuclear microreactor on a cargo plane, flying the unit from California to Utah in a dem...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of February, covering the latest developments you need to...
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Monday ahead of a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media.
Azerbaijan and Serbia have formally launched a Strategic Partnership Council, marking a new phase in bilateral relations and placing cooperation under direct presidential oversight.
The United States has carried out its first air transport of a nuclear microreactor on a cargo plane, flying the unit from California to Utah in a demonstration designed to show the technology can be rapidly deployed for military and civilian use.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
Austria’s Janine Flock won the gold medal in the women’s skeleton event at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia’s decision to change the leadership of its delegation for upcoming peace talks in Geneva appeared to be an attempt to delay progress.
The United States has carried out its first air transport of a nuclear microreactor on a cargo plane, flying the unit from California to Utah in a demonstration designed to show the technology can be rapidly deployed for military and civilian use.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Former Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko has been detained while attempting to leave the country, anti-corruption authorities said on Sunday.
Britain and Germany’s highest ranking military chiefs have made an unprecedented joint appeal to the public to accept the “moral” case for rearmament and prepare for the threat of war with Russia.
Norway is holding a commanding lead in the medal standings with 12 golds and a total of 26, with Italy having an historic performance on home soil on the ninth day of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday (15 February).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment