Pakistan and Afghanistan peace talks in Istanbul collapse as Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants behind cross-border attacks. Image: Modern Diplomacy.
(The Post News) – Peace negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan collapsed early Wednesday after four acrimonious days of talks in Istanbul. Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the Taliban government in Kabul of not doing anything against militants who carry out fatal cross-border raids.
The breakdown in talks came just 10 days after the two countries signed a ceasefire on Oct. 19 in Doha, halting intense border fighting that resulted in dozens of soldiers, civilians, and militants being killed. Though the ceasefire held, the collapse of talks has sent shivers down the spines of those worried about fresh fighting between the two highly volatile neighbors.
Pakistan Blames Kabul for Inaction Against Militants
Posting comments on social media platform X, Tarar wrote that Istanbul talks “failed to bring any functional solution,” holding the Afghan team responsible for “deflection and guile.”
Pakistani officials explained that the talks were stuck late on Monday night, lasting nearly 18 hours. They accused the Afghan delegation of shifting positions over Islamabad’s fundamental demand: a move against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an insurgency that has led to a rise in attacks in Pakistan.
“The Afghan side kept changing their position, apparently waiting for new instructions from Kabul,” said one senior Pakistani official to Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has rejected these claims. Afghan officials claimed that Pakistan was not well organized and left the negotiating table many times. The Afghan team, led by Haji Najib, deputy administrative affairs minister, accused Islamabad of “presenting fuzzy arguments.”
The collapse of the talks triggered angry remarks by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who threatened harsh military retaliation in case cross-border attacks do not cease. “Pakistan does not need to use even half of its military power to annihilate the Taliban regime and push them back into caves,” Asif wrote on X.
There has been no reaction from the Taliban or the Defence Ministry of Afghanistan—an ominous turn. Experts are worried that Asif’s statement is a sign of growing conflict after weeks of fighting along the border, in which dozens were killed on each side. Pakistan began air raids early last month against TTP leaders in Kabul and other Afghan cities. The Taliban responded by shelling Pakistani military positions along the 2,600-kilometer border.
Even following the Doha truce, weekend battles killed five Pakistani soldiers and 25 TTP militants, Pakistan’s army reported. Moreover, independent research by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reveals that the TTP has carried out more than 600 attacks in Pakistan in 2024. Violence for 2025 already surpasses that number.
Security analyst Baqir Sajjad Syed stated that deep ideological links between the TTP and Afghan Taliban prevent Kabul from taking decisive action. “The Taliban are dependent on the TTP for security inside the country. Severing that relationship would weaken their rule,” he said.
Analyst Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud agreed, adding that Pakistan’s negotiators must be aware of such ideological ties. Journalist Sami Yousafzai warned that confronting the group with force may strengthen the Taliban’s reputation at the local level.
If Pakistan bombs Afghans, civilian losses will galvanize anti-Pakistan sentiment and unite Afghans on the Taliban’s side,” Yousafzai stated. He also warned that if Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhunzada were to call for a jihad against Pakistan, “many young Afghans would join the fight, and it would be disastrous for everyone involved.”
Global and Regional Reaction
Facilitators, Qatar and Türkiye, were disappointed with the collapse of negotiations but continued to seek renewal of talks. US President Donald Trump, during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, offered to broker peace, saying he was able to “solve the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis very quickly.”
China, Russia, and Iran, on the other hand, urged the Taliban to eradicate militant groups based inside Afghanistan, including the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).
Experts in the region are certain that Pakistan would resort to targeted bombings or cross-border raids if diplomacy fails. They warn, nonetheless, that any escalation would destabilize the whole region.
Despite the military advantage of Pakistan, experts advise not taking anything for granted. “The Taliban survive under pressure,” Yousafzai explained. “Any large-scale attack could enhance their legitimacy.”
The failed talks have brought the region to the threshold of a return to conflict. While the Doha ceasefire remains precarious and confidence disintegrates at lightning speed, the two nations are at a crossroads: return to dialogue or tumble into a wider war that neither can afford.
About the Author
