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Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said early on Wednesday that the latest round of talks between Islamabad and Kabul in Istanbul failed to bring about any workable solution as “the Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue and evaded the key point”. The talks in Istanbul began on Saturday after the worst border fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. In a post on X, the minister said,“Afghan Taliban Regime have been asked time and again to fulfil their written commitments to Pakistan and to the international community in Doha Agreement.” However, Tarar said, Pakistan’s fervent efforts proved futile due to Afghan Taliban Regime’s unabated support to anti-Pakistan terrorists. He further said that Pakistan held countless rounds of talks and parleys with the Afghan Taliban Regime but the neigbour always remained indifferent to Pakistan’s losses. “Sadly, after sustaining such huge losses of men and material for four long years, Pakistan’s patience has run its course.” He added that over the last four days of dialogue, the Afghan Taliban delegation repeatedly agreed to Pakistan’s logical and legitimate demand for credible and decisive action against organisations and terrorists. “Sufficient and irrefutable evidence was provided by Pakistan which was acknowledged by Afghan Taliban and the hosts, however, regrettably, the Afghan side gave no assurances.” Moreover, the minister again thanked the government of Qatar, Turkiye as well as those of other friendly state for their efforts to “bring about a peaceful solution to the problem of terrorism, for the prosperity and security of the two countries and the region at large”. The clashes began after an air strike this month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, targeting the head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group separate from the Taliban that rules Afghanistan. The TTP terrorists responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600 km (1,600 miles) border. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of allowing the TTP to operate with impunity inside Afghanistan, from where it launches attacks on Pakistani security forces. Kabul denies this. A ceasefire was agreed in talks hosted by Qatar and Turkey. After an initial 48-hour ceasefire between the warring neighbours lapsed, a second truce emerged on October 19 following talks in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, though its terms remain unclear. Talks in Istanbul began Saturday and aimed to establish long-term peace. They stretched into an 18-hour marathon session on Monday, according to Pakistan’s state-run Radio Pakistan.
