Afghanistan-Pakistan talks fail, Taliban declares to maintain ceasefire
On November 8, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan had failed, but insisted that the fragile ceasefire between the two South Asian neighbors would continue to be maintained.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Mujahid said the negotiations failed because Islamabad "insisted" on Afghanistan taking responsibility for Pakistan's internal security situation. He described this as a demand "beyond the capacity" of Afghanistan.
The Taliban spokesman also criticized the "irresponsible and uncooperative" attitude of the Pakistani delegation during the recent negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey.
"Pakistan is trying to shift all responsibility for its security to the Afghan government, while showing no willingness to take responsibility for Afghanistan's security or its own," Mujahid wrote on social media.
Despite the failure of the talks, Mr Mujahid stressed: "The ceasefire that has been established... will continue to be observed."
On the Pakistani side, a day earlier (November 7), Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also confirmed that peace talks in Istanbul to prevent recurrence of border clashes had collapsed.
Earlier, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also signaled that negotiations were at a standstill, saying that Afghanistan had an "obligation" to fulfill its commitment to suppress terrorism, "which it has so far failed to do." Mr. Tarar warned that Pakistan "will continue to take all necessary options to protect the security of its people and its sovereignty."
The talks in Türkiye are aimed at finalising a ceasefire deal signed in Doha, Qatar, on October 19. The deal follows the deadliest border clashes in October, which left dozens dead and were the worst violence since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
However, the second round of talks ended without a long-term agreement due to deep disagreements over armed groups that Pakistan accuses of operating inside Afghanistan. Islamabad wants assurances from the Taliban government that it will stop supporting armed groups, especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Kabul, in turn, has repeatedly denied the allegations and demanded that its territorial sovereignty be respected.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban, which had been warm for decades, have deteriorated rapidly in recent years. Tensions continued to escalate even as the talks were taking place, with troops from both sides exchanging fire on November 7 in the Spin Boldak border area in Afghanistan, killing five people.