Afghan government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Saturday that Pakistan’s “unreasonable demands” derailed the talks, which ended in Istanbul late Friday after two days of meetings mediated by Turkey and Qatar.
“The meeting ended and the talks are at a standstill for now,” Mujahid told reporters in the southern city of Kandahar.
“We do not want insecurity in the region, and entering into war is not our first choice. But if war breaks out, we have the right to defend ourselves.”
He reiterated that Afghanistan would not allow its soil to be used against any other country and would not tolerate actions threatening its sovereignty or security.
Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan have collapsed without agreement, with both sides trading blame for the failure of negotiations aimed at easing border tensions and maintaining a fragile ceasefire.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed to Geo News that the talks had ended without progress and that the Pakistani delegation was returning home.
“The talks are over,” he said. “There is no plan for any future meetings. The ceasefire will remain as long as it is not violated from the Afghan side.”
The failed talks come amid rising tension along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where clashes in recent weeks have left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. The violence followed October 9 explosions in Kabul, which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistani drone strikes.
Fighting subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19, but the truce remains fragile. Afghan officials said four civilians were killed and five others wounded in new cross-border clashes on Thursday, even as the Istanbul negotiations continued.
Asif accused the Afghan side of refusing to sign a written agreement, insisting instead on verbal assurances. “There is no plan or hope for a fourth round of talks,” he said. “Talks have entered an indefinite pause.”
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for a surge in attacks inside Pakistan since 2021. The Taliban government denies the charge, saying it does not permit any group to use Afghan territory against another country.
Mujahid rejected Pakistan’s allegations, saying the TTP predated the Taliban’s 2021 return to power and that Afghanistan could not be held responsible for its actions.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s military said it carried out airstrikes on TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan, killing dozens of insurgents. Afghan officials disputed the claim, saying civilians were among the dead, and said Afghan forces retaliated by shelling Pakistani military posts, killing 58 soldiers. Pakistan acknowledged losing 23 troops in the fighting.
Pakistan has kept its border crossings with Afghanistan closed since October 12, disrupting trade and stranding thousands of people on both sides. The main Torkham crossing was partially reopened last week to allow stranded Afghans to return home, but hundreds of trucks carrying goods remain backed up along the frontier.
The border restrictions coincide with Pakistan’s nationwide campaign to deport undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans. Authorities say more than one million Afghan nationals have been sent back since 2023.
Pakistan has also faced a surge in militant attacks, many claimed by the TTP, which is designated as a terrorist organization by both the United Nations and the United States. (With inputs from AP) (TNIE)
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