Pakistan-Afghanistan Peace Talks Collapse in Istanbul

ISLAMABAD: High-level peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have concluded without achieving a breakthrough, despite both sides agreeing to a temporary ceasefire brokered earlier in Doha. According to diplomatic sources, the negotiations—mediated by Turkiye and Qatar—faced major hurdles as neither side could agree on measures to address cross-border militancy.

A Pakistani security official said the Afghan Taliban refused to take concrete action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad accuses of operating freely inside Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Afghan representatives claimed they had no control over the Pakistani Taliban, leading to “tense exchanges” during discussions.

The talks, held amid ongoing border clashes, aimed to reach a long-term truce but ended in a stalemate. Over the weekend, Pakistan reported the deaths of five soldiers and 25 militants in fighting along the frontier, underscoring the fragile security situation. Officials warned that failure to reach an agreement could escalate tensions further, despite mediation efforts by Turkiye and Qatar to sustain dialogue between the two neighbours.