Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Istanbul fail amid rising border tensions

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have ended without agreement with the sides trading blame for the breakdown in negotiations aimed at easing border tensions and upholding a fragile ceasefire officials said SaturdayTensions 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 Afghanistans 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 placeAfghanistans government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid blamed Pakistan for the talks failure saying that Pakistans demands in the negotiations were unreasonable and the talks could not proceed the meeting ended and the talks are at a standstill for nowSpeaking during a press conference from the southern Afghan city of Kandahar 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 ourselvesEarlier 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 securityTalks come to an end without progressThe twoday 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 neighbors since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan 2021 Despite intense backchannel diplomacy officials said discussions stalled late Friday without tangible progressPakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told the private Geo News channel late Friday that the talks are over and that the Pakistani delegation was returning home with no plan for any future meetings He added that the ceasefire would remain in place as long as it is not violated from the Afghan sidePakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistans Taliban rulers of harboring the TehreekeTaliban Pakistan TTP a militant group responsible for a surge in attacks inside Pakistan since 2021 Kabul denies the charge saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countriesAlthough separate from Afghanistans ruling Taliban the TTP is closely allied with it and has been emboldened since the Talibans 2021 takeover of Kabul During his news conference Mujahid rejected accusations that Afghanistan was responsible for the actions of the TTP saying the creation of the group had long predated the Talibans 2021 takeover of AfghanistanClashes continueThe collapse of talks came the night after Afghan officials reported that four civilians were killed and five others wounded in crossborder clashes despite the ongoing negotiationsAsif said the Afghan delegation came without any program and refused to sign a written agreement insisting only on verbal assurances They said they would respect a verbal agreement but there is no room for that he said There is no plan or hope for any fourth round of talks Talks have entered an indefinite pauseEarlier this month Pakistans military said it carried out airstrikes on the hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban inside Afghanistan killing dozens of people it described as insurgents Afghan officials denied the claim saying civilians were among the dead and said Afghan forces had struck Pakistani military posts in retaliation killing 58 soldiers Pakistans military acknowledged losing 23 troops in the fightingThe violence prompted Qatar to invite delegations from both sides to Doha where they agreed to a ceasefire on October 19 It was followed by six days of talks in Istanbul which resulted in an agreement to extend the truce and hold a third round on November 6 and 7 talks that ultimately failed to produce any breakthroughBorder closureSince then Pakistan has kept all of its border crossings with Afghanistan closed though it partially reopened the main Torkham crossing last week to allow stranded Afghan refugees to return home The closure imposed on Oct 12 has disrupted vital trade and transit routes and stranded thousands of people Hundreds of trucks loaded with goods remain backed up on both sides of the frontier cutting off one of the busiest economic arteries linking South and Central AsiaAlongside the border restrictions Pakistan is pursuing a nationwide campaign to deport undocumented foreigners the majority of them Afghans Since 2023 authorities say more than a million Afghan nationals have been sent back as part of the repatriation drive Pakistan has also witnessed a surge in militant attacks many claimed by the TTP which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United NationsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever