Pakistan: Talks with Afghanistan Fail to Make Progress on Ceasefire

The Pakistani government announced on Wednesday that negotiations held with the Afghan side in Istanbul aimed at reaching a long-term truce between the two countries ended without any tangible progress.

Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said in a statement that “the talks did not yield any practical results,” adding that “the Afghan side deviated from the core issues and avoided taking responsibility for the causes of tension.”

Tarar explained that Islamabad had hoped to reach an understanding that would put an end to the escalation along the border between the two countries, but noted that “the Afghan delegation resorted to exchanging accusations instead of offering constructive solutions.”

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been increasingly tense for months amid mutual accusations of supporting armed groups that carry out cross-border attacks. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of allowing members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul denies the allegations and insists it does not permit the use of its territory against any neighboring country.

Recent violence along the border has left dozens dead on both sides, marking one of the worst waves of tension between the two countries since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021.