Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended without success on Friday (6th November) after several rounds of discussions held in Istanbul, Turkiye.

The collapse marked yet another setback in the ongoing attempts to ease tensions between the two neighbours. Speaking to the media on Saturday (8th November), Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid held Pakistan responsible, accusing Islamabad of an “irresponsible and non-cooperative attitude” that, according to him, led to the failure of the talks. Mujahid explained that Pakistan kept insisting that Afghanistan should take full responsibility for Pakistan’s internal security matters, something Afghanistan considers to be beyond its “capacity” and outside the scope of what it can reasonably handle.

He further said, “During the talks, the Pakistani side attempted to refer all responsibilities regarding its security to the Afghan government, while at the same time it did not demonstrate any willingness to assume responsibility for either Afghanistan’s security or its own,” making it clear that the Taliban leadership believed Pakistan was trying to shift all security obligations onto Afghanistan. Despite the frustration expressed in his remarks, Mujahid confirmed that the ceasefire between the two countries remained in place. “The ceasefire that has been established has not been violated by us so far, and it will continue to be observed,” he added, emphasising that Afghanistan would continue to honour the truce unless provoked.

On Friday (7th November), Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also announced that the peace talks had failed. He reiterated that the ceasefire would remain as long as there were no attacks originating from Afghan territory. His statement followed claims by the Taliban that Afghan civilians had been killed and others wounded in a confrontation with Pakistani forces near the border. Reports indicated that a brief exchange of fire occurred between the armies of both countries on Thursday (6th November), which was the same day the Istanbul negotiations resumed. This incident reflected how unstable and sensitive the border situation remains.

Pakistan’s long-standing complaint against the Taliban is that it has failed to fulfil commitments made under the 2021 Doha peace accord, particularly the pledge to act against “terrorism”. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing shelter to groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), accusations strongly denied by the Taliban. Pakistan holds the TTP responsible for several deadly attacks inside its territory. In reaction to alleged TTP-linked operations in Pakistan, the Pakistani military carried out a series of airstrikes in Afghanistan last month, further escalating tensions.

Over the past month, both nations have moved through cycles of violent clashes and diplomatic attempts. On 9th October, Pakistan launched an airstrike in Kabul, which triggered renewed hostilities. Afghanistan retaliated on 11th October, launching attacks on several Pakistani military sites along the Durand Line. During this retaliation, Afghan forces captured multiple Pakistani border checkpoints, killed 58 soldiers, injured 30 others, and destroyed 20 outposts, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Pakistan countered this by stating that more than 200 Taliban fighters and their allies were killed in the overnight battle and reported that 23 of its own soldiers also lost their lives in the clashes.

After weeks of heated confrontation, both countries agreed to a ceasefire on 19th October following negotiations held in Doha and mediated by Turkiye and Qatar. The peace talks in Istanbul were the third round of attempts to stabilise relations, but like the previous efforts, they failed to produce any lasting solution. The breakdown of these discussions shows the deep mistrust that continues to exist between Afghanistan and Pakistan, making long-term peace increasingly difficult despite ongoing international involvement.