Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks 'failed', Pakistan minister says

Talks aimed at securing a long-term truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan ended in Istanbul without a resolution, Pakistan’s information minister confirmed on Wednesday (October 29), dealing a setback to regional peace efforts following deadly border clashes earlier this month.

The high-level dialogue, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, sought to establish lasting peace after the deadliest escalation between the two neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. Dozens were killed on both sides in the recent violence.

“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue, evading the key point upon which the dialogue process was initiated,” Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a 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.”

Afghanistan’s foreign and defence ministries have yet to respond to the remarks.

Disagreements over Taliban-linked militants

According to Pakistani officials, the talks collapsed largely because the Afghan Taliban refused to commit to curbing the activities of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), a separate militant group that Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering. A Pakistani security source said the Afghan side “remained unwilling to take action” against TTP elements operating within Afghanistan.

An Afghan source familiar with the discussions described the talks as tense and said they ended abruptly after sharp exchanges. “The Afghan side said it has no control over the Pakistani Taliban,” the source said, adding that the militants have been carrying out cross-border attacks against Pakistani forces in recent weeks.

Clashes test fragile ceasefire

The negotiations followed an earlier ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 19, which temporarily halted hostilities. However, violence has continued sporadically despite the truce.

The most recent clashes erupted after Pakistani air strikes on Kabul and other locations inside Afghanistan targeting the leadership of the TTP. The Taliban retaliated with coordinated assaults on Pakistani military outposts along the 2,600-kilometre border.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister said on Saturday that while Islamabad believed Afghanistan wanted peace, the failure of the Istanbul talks could lead to “open war” if provocations continued.

Despite the ceasefire, weekend skirmishes left five Pakistani soldiers and 25 TTP militants dead, the Pakistani military reported.

Regional implications

The collapse of the Istanbul talks underscores the deep mistrust between Islamabad and Kabul, as well as the challenge of controlling militant groups that operate across the porous border. Analysts warn that continued instability could spill over into neighbouring regions, threatening wider security in South and Central Asia.

Both sides have indicated a willingness to maintain diplomatic channels, but with tensions high and mutual accusations mounting, prospects for a sustainable peace agreement remain uncertain.

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