Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks end without any breakthrough
Pakistan
A new round of peace talks mediated by Saudi Arabia between Pakistan and Afghanistan has failed to produce a breakthrough to end tensions between the South Asian neighbours
RIYADH (Web Desk) - A new round of peace talks mediated by Saudi Arabia between Pakistan and Afghanistan has failed to produce a breakthrough to end tensions between the South Asian neighbours, although they agreed to continue their ceasefire, officials from both countries said on Wednesday.
The talks in Saudi Arabia last weekend were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia aimed at cooling tensions following deadly border clashes in October.
A ceasefire agreed in Doha has largely held, though efforts to secure a longer-term arrangement through follow-up talks in Istanbul last month failed to produce a peace agreement.
Pakistan pressed the Taliban for guarantees that the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) would not use Afghan territory. The Taliban rejected the proposal.
Dozens were killed in October’s clashes, the worst violence on the border since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Islamabad says it wants Kabul to provide a written commitment to act against anti-Pakistan groups. The Taliban say this goes beyond their responsibility and they cannot be expected to guarantee security in Pakistan.
Reuters adds: Islamabad says that militants based in Afghanistan stage attacks in Pakistan and that Kabul has not responded to repeated calls to take action against them. The Taliban denies that its soil is used by Pakistani militants.
Pakistani authorities said that suicide bombers, including one who killed 12 people in Islamabad, in recent attacks have been identified as Afghan nationals.
The October border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan militaries killed dozens of people in the worst violence on their border since the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021.
Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha in October, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last month fell apart without a long-term deal.
Islamabad says it wanted Kabul to provide a written commitment to take action against the anti-Pakistan militants. The Afghan Taliban says it cannot be expected to guarantee security in Pakistan.
