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peace talks between Pakistan And afghanistan Three days of talks have reached a standoff in Istanbul, with state media in both countries blaming each other for the failure to reach an agreement on Tuesday, while efforts by Turkey to end the standoff are still ongoing.
The Istanbul talks are part of a broader diplomatic effort to ease months of heightened tensions islamabad And Kabul Cross-border attacks and terrorist safe havens – issues that have strained relations since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan four years ago.
Delegations from both neighbors remain in Türkiye, but it was not immediately clear whether a fourth day of talks would take place.
Pakistani television reported early Tuesday that Turkish officials and several other countries were working to maintain the ceasefire agreed on October 19 in Doha after the first round of talks. The agreement came after deadly cross-border clashes that left dozens of soldiers, militants and civilians from both sides dead.
Three Pakistani security officials with direct knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press that talks in Istanbul are deadlocked over Kabul’s reluctance to accept Pakistan’s logical and legitimate demands regarding assurances that Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. He said the host country is trying to end the deadlock so that the final round of talks can resume as soon as possible.
According to Pakistani officials, the Taliban delegation was “completely unwilling” to accept Pakistan’s proposals and continued to seek guidance from Kabul before taking a decision.
There was no immediate reaction from Kabul to the Pakistani claims, repeated by Pakistan Television on Tuesday.
Afghanistan-controlled media RTA made similar allegations on the Pakistani side and said that Kabul “made every effort to hold constructive talks”, but “the Pakistani side does not seem to have such an intention.”
As the latest round of talks got underway in Turkey, US President Donald Trump on Sunday promised to help quickly resolve the crisis between the two neighbours.
The recent fighting prompted Qatar to host an initial round of talks that led to a ceasefire that both sides say still stands despite the standoff in Istanbul.
There was no official statement from either side regarding the status of the talks.
Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Mohammad Ali said on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s strategy in the talks was to slow down the diplomatic process and focus on other bilateral issues. He noted Afghanistan’s reluctance to make a clear, unambiguous and internationally verifiable commitment to action against the Afghan-based Pakistani Taliban and other terrorists.
Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist attacks in recent years, mostly attributed to the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a group closely linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Islamabad says the group is being given sanctuary in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in 2021.
Officials in Pakistan have said the country’s military targeted TTP positions in Afghanistan earlier this month. This led to deadly clashes between the two countries until Qatar called for a ceasefire.
However, all border crossings between the two sides have been closed for more than two weeks, leaving trucks carrying goods stranded and waiting for key trade routes to reopen.
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Ahmed reported from Islamabad.