ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (Wealth Pakistan) – Talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime in Istanbul have collapsed after four days of negotiations failed to deliver assurances from the Afghan side to curb cross-border terrorism, according to a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released early Friday.
The dialogue was held at the request of Qatar and Türkiye and followed earlier meetings in Doha. Pakistan said the talks focused on a single agenda: convincing the Afghan Taliban regime to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory as training and launch bases for attacks inside Pakistan.
According to Pakistan, Islamabad presented “sufficient and irrefutable” evidence proving the involvement of India-backed terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), in attacks launched from Afghan soil. The Afghan side and host countries acknowledged the evidence, but the Taliban delegation gave no commitment to act.
Afghan Side Avoids Core Issue
Pakistan stated that instead of addressing the core concern, the Afghan Taliban resorted to blame-shifting and evasion. The delegation repeatedly deviated from the main issue of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan said the talks failed because the Afghan regime refused to take credible steps against militants operating in Afghanistan.
Islamabad expressed gratitude to Qatar and Türkiye for their sincere facilitation efforts. Both countries tried to convince the Afghan leadership to stop using proxy groups as leverage against Pakistan. However, despite those efforts, the dialogue ended without any progress or workable solution.
Pakistan Reiterates Commitment to Peace
Pakistan’s statement blamed the deadlock on the Afghan regime’s continued tolerance of a “war economy.” It said the Taliban leadership shows little responsibility toward the Afghan people and is more focused on maintaining control through instability.
Islamabad reaffirmed that Pakistan has always advocated peace and stability in Afghanistan and has made major sacrifices for that goal. Despite these efforts, Pakistan said its patience has reached its limit after years of cross-border attacks that have killed security personnel and civilians.
Security to Remain Top Priority
The government stressed that the security of its people remains its highest priority. Pakistan will continue to take all possible measures to protect its citizens from terrorism. Officials said the government will employ every available resource to dismantle terrorist networks, eliminate sanctuaries, and punish their abettors and supporters.
Pakistan has engaged the Afghan Taliban regime in multiple rounds of talks in recent years. The failure of the Istanbul dialogue now threatens to deepen tensions between the two neighbours and complicate regional stability efforts.