Tensions have escalated in recent weeks following deadly border fighting that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. The violence erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Afghanistan’s Taliban government said were drone strikes conducted by Pakistan and vowed to avenge. The clashes subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19, which remains tenuously in place.
Afghanistan’s government spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, blamed Pakistan for the talks’ failure, saying that “Pakistan’s demands in the negotiations were unreasonable and the talks could not proceed, the meeting ended and the talks are at a standstill for now.”
Speaking during a press conference from the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Saturday, Mujahid said Afghanistan “(does) not want insecurity in the region, and entering into war is not our first choice,” but he noted that “if war breaks out, we have the right to defend ourselves.”
Earlier, he had reiterated in a written statement that Afghanistan “will not allow anyone to use its territory against another country, nor permit actions that undermine its sovereignty or security.”
The two-day talks in Istanbul, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, were the third round of peace negotiations that were viewed as one of the most significant diplomatic efforts between the two neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan 2021. Despite intense back-channel diplomacy, officials said discussions stalled late Friday without tangible progress.Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif told media on Friday that the “talks are over” and that the Pakistani delegation was returning home with “no plan for future meetings.” He added that the ceasefire would remain in place as long as “it is not violated from the Afghan side.”