Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have blamed Pakistan for the failure of peace talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey in Istanbul, signaling that tensions along the shared border may continue. The negotiations, which concluded on Friday without any resolution, followed reports of Afghan civilian casualties during clashes with Pakistani forces. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that despite two days of talks conducted in good faith, Islamabad failed to present “realistic and implementable demands” necessary for a lasting solution.
Mujahid accused Pakistan of attempting to shift all security responsibilities onto the Afghan government while showing no willingness to take responsibility for its own or Afghanistan’s security. He described Pakistan’s approach as “irresponsible and non-cooperative,” adding that this attitude led to the talks producing “no outcome.” Pakistan has yet to issue a direct response to these accusations but confirmed that the discussions reached a deadlock, with no substantial progress, while a Qatar-brokered ceasefire remained in place.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that Islamabad “will not support any steps by the Taliban government that are not in the interest of the Afghan people or neighbouring countries.” Pakistan has long criticized the Taliban for failing to honor commitments made under the 2021 Doha peace accord, including pledges to combat terrorism. Islamabad has accused Kabul of harboring armed groups such as the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), which has carried out numerous deadly attacks in Pakistan. In response, Pakistan has conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan, while the Taliban have blamed Pakistan for recent explosions in Kabul.
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