Pakistan Accuses Taliban of Evading Key Issues as Talks Fail

Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, stated on Tuesday that the four-day negotiations with the “Afghan Taliban regime” in Istanbul had failed to yield results. Though he did not explicitly declare the end of talks, he expressed gratitude to Qatar and Turkey for their mediation efforts.

Tarar accused the Taliban delegation of evading key discussion points. In a post on X, he asserted that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to protect its citizens.

The Pakistani official highlighted that since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, Islamabad has repeatedly engaged with them regarding cross-border terrorism, particularly concerning the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Baloch separatists.

He emphasized that Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban regime to honor its commitments under the Doha Agreement, both toward Pakistan and the international community. However, he lamented that Pakistan’s efforts to persuade the Taliban had been unsuccessful.

Tarar accused the Taliban of continuing to support anti-Pakistan terrorist groups, stating, “Pakistan will take all necessary steps to safeguard its citizens from terrorism and ensure that all resources are utilized to eliminate terrorists, their sanctuaries, and their supporters.”

He further alleged that the Taliban was dragging Afghanistan into a devastating war. Referencing security incidents over the past four years, Tarar declared that “Pakistan’s patience has run out.”

While thanking Qatar and Turkey for hosting and mediating the talks, he noted that during the four-day discussions, the Taliban delegation repeatedly agreed to Pakistan’s “legitimate and logical demand” for decisive action against terrorist groups. However, despite Pakistan presenting “irrefutable evidence,” the Taliban failed to provide any guarantees.

Tarar claimed the Taliban delegation avoided taking responsibility, leading to the breakdown of negotiations. Taliban spokespersons have yet to comment on the failed talks.

The Istanbul negotiations followed a prior agreement between Pakistani and Taliban defense ministers in Doha, where both sides agreed to a ceasefire and de-escalation. However, technical details were deferred to the Istanbul meeting.