Last-Ditch Push to Save Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks Falters Amid Growing Stalemate
ISTANBUL — A final, desperate effort was underway Tuesday to salvage faltering talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as negotiators struggled to bridge a widening gulf over counterterrorism commitments and border security, according to Dawn News.
The latest round of discussions, held in Istanbul and mediated by Qatar and Turkey, followed earlier talks in Doha that had produced a fragile permanent ceasefire after days of deadly border clashes. Those negotiations had briefly raised hopes of a new understanding between Islamabad and Kabul.
But by late Monday, optimism gave way to frustration. Security sources in Islamabad described the Afghan Taliban’s stance as “stubborn,” blaming “illogical instructions from Kabul” for the breakdown. Pakistani officials said the Afghan delegation had initially agreed in principle to take “credible and decisive action” against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) only to later withdraw under new directives from their leadership.
“Despite the Taliban’s rigidity, a last-ditch effort is underway to somehow resolve this through logic and dialogue,” one senior Pakistani source said, adding that talks were “moving toward a final round.”
Sources familiar with the closed-door meetings said nearly all points had been mutually accepted except one — the mechanism for verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan demanded written guarantees and a monitoring framework; the Afghan delegation, however, reportedly resisted putting any commitment on paper.
Officials in Islamabad have insisted that “ongoing patronage of terrorists by the Afghan Taliban is unacceptable,” emphasizing that Pakistan’s patience has worn thin after repeated TTP-linked attacks near the border.
Across the table, Afghan officials offered a sharply different view. Sources within the Islamic Emirate’s delegation told TOLOnews that Pakistan’s team appeared “disjointed and unprepared,” and seemed “intent on retreating rather than reaching a resolution.”
The Afghan side maintained that the TTP issue is an internal Pakistani problem, not Afghanistan’s responsibility, and reaffirmed its stance that Afghan soil will not be used to threaten any country.
Tensions escalated further when, according to Afghan negotiators, Pakistan admitted to having an arrangement with a foreign partner permitting drone strikes in border regions, a disclosure that reportedly deepened mistrust.
As mediators from Qatar and Turkey urged restraint, both sides signaled a desire to avoid collapse. “Even if there was no breakthrough, the fact that both sides stayed engaged for three days matters,” one mediator said. “It shows neither wants the dialogue to die.”
A joint statement was expected late Tuesday night, though prospects for a meaningful agreement appeared increasingly dim.
