Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday announced that negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been suspended, with no programme scheduled for a fourth round of talks. Speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, he described the situation as a complete deadlock, noting that the talks have entered an indefinite phase.
The third round of talks had begun in Istanbul on Thursday, following last month’s deadly border clashes. These discussions aimed to ease tensions after earlier negotiations, including a five-day session that produced a last-minute interim agreement.
While mediators from Turkiye and Qatar made sincere efforts to facilitate dialogue, Asif noted that the Afghan delegation was unwilling to sign a written agreement, instead seeking only verbal assurances, which Pakistan could not accept in international negotiations.
He praised the mediators’ efforts but remarked that the outcome showed even they had lost hope in reaching a resolution with Kabul. Asif reiterated Pakistan’s firm position: Afghanistan must ensure its territory is not used to launch attacks on Pakistan. He warned that Pakistan would respond appropriately if provoked, while the existing ceasefire will continue as long as there is no aggression.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that the onus is on Afghanistan to honor its long-standing international, regional, and bilateral obligations regarding counter-terrorism, which they have so far failed to meet. He underscored Pakistan’s goodwill toward the Afghan people but clarified that Islamabad would not support any Taliban measures that harm Afghanistan or its neighbors.
Pakistan will continue to safeguard its citizens and sovereignty, exercising all necessary options to protect national security.
The second round of talks, held on October 25 in Istanbul, collapsed after Pakistan rejected the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments and failure to address Islamabad’s concerns on cross-border terrorism.
Mediators had persuaded Pakistan to give the talks another chance, resulting in a temporary agreement to uphold the ceasefire. Following the previous session, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement confirming that all parties agreed to maintain the ceasefire and implement a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace and penalize any violations.
