Pakistan announces failure of ceasefire talks with Afghanistan
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced early Wednesday morning that the talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Istanbul aimed at reaching a long-term ceasefire between the two countries ended without any practical progress.
Tarar stated in an official statement that the Afghan side continued to deviate from the essence of the issue for which the negotiations began, accusing the Taliban of "resorting to blame-shifting and evasion tactics instead of taking responsibility," which led to the failure of the dialogue to reach any realistic solution.
In contrast, informed Afghan and Pakistani sources told Reuters that both sides were able earlier to renew the ceasefire reached in Doha on October 19, but they failed to find common ground during the second round of negotiations mediated by Turkey and Qatar and hosted in Istanbul.
While the Pakistani minister confirmed the failure of the talks, special sources indicated that negotiations are still ongoing and have not completely stalled, noting that Turkish and Qatari mediation efforts are trying to keep communication channels open to avoid escalation.
* Exchange of accusations after worst clashes since 2021
These developments came after weeks of the fiercest confrontations between the two countries since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people along the border extending over 2,600 kilometers.
The recent tensions began due to Pakistani airstrikes conducted earlier in October on the Afghan capital Kabul and other areas, targeting the leader of the Pakistani Taliban.
The Afghan Taliban responded with attacks targeting Pakistani military sites along the border, triggering a wave of mutual violence between the two sides.
* Escalating humanitarian and trade crisis
Amid the tensions, the closure of border crossings between the two countries has paralyzed trade and doubled the suffering of patients who rely on crossing the border for treatment, reflecting the escalating humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border.
This round of talks is one of the most important diplomatic initiatives launched to try to restore stability in the region, but its failure deals another blow to peace efforts after months of ongoing escalation.
