**Peace Talks Between Pakistan and Taliban End Without Deal, But Cease-Fire Continues**
Peace talks held in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have concluded without reaching an agreement. However, the cease-fire between the neighboring countries remains in effect.
The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, attributed the collapse of the talks to the Pakistani delegation’s “irresponsible attitude and lack of cooperation.” Writing on X, Mujahid accused Islamabad of “showing no readiness to assume any responsibility for Afghanistan’s security, or even for its own.” He emphasized that the cease-fire “has not been violated by us so far, and it will continue to be observed.”
Multiple rounds of talks, brokered by Turkey and Qatar, have been held in Istanbul since last month. The latest discussions took place on November 6-7 and were led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the Taliban intelligence chief, and Lieutenant General Asim Malik, head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.
Earlier, Pakistani officials, including Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, also confirmed the failure of the Istanbul talks. Asif stated, “There are no plans for further negotiations.” He warned that if Afghanistan’s territory is used to launch attacks on Pakistan, the cease-fire will be terminated. Previously, Asif cautioned that failure to reach a deal could lead to “open war.”
The most recent Taliban-Pakistan talks in Istanbul encountered difficulties from the beginning. On November 6, an exchange of fire occurred in Spin Boldak between Taliban soldiers and Pakistani forces. Both sides blamed each other for initiating the shooting. Local reports indicate that civilians in Spin Boldak suffered significant losses, with at least five civilians—including four women—killed and six others wounded.
This latest violence follows bloody clashes in October between Pakistan and the Taliban, in which at least 50 Afghan civilians were killed and approximately 450 wounded. These clashes were halted through mediation by Qatar and Turkey, culminating in the announcement of a cease-fire. Pakistan also confirmed the deaths of at least 23 soldiers and injuries to 29 others during the fighting.
The violence erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which the Taliban authorities blamed on Pakistan. Once close allies sharing a 2,600-kilometer border, relations between the two sides have deteriorated amid Islamabad’s claims that Afghanistan harbors militant groups, including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan alleges that the Taliban authorities are permitting the TTP to use Afghan territory as a base for training and logistics to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government, however, denies these allegations.
https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-peace-talks-pakistan/33584788.html
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