ISLAMABAD — Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar confirmed early Wednesday that the four-day Istanbul talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban ended without any breakthrough. He said Pakistan will continue taking all necessary measures to protect its citizens from cross-border terrorism.
According to Tarar, the dialogue failed to produce a workable solution despite Pakistan’s repeated presentation of “evidence-backed counterterrorism demands.” He said the Afghan side resorted to “blame, denial, and evasion” rather than accepting responsibility.
The minister noted that Pakistan had long sought Kabul’s cooperation against militants targeting the country, particularly the India-backed Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP) and Fitna al-Hindustan (BLA)
Tarar added that despite repeated assurances, the Taliban regime “continued to support anti-Pakistan terrorists,” violating commitments made under the Doha Agreement.
“After four years of severe human and material losses, Pakistan’s patience has run its course,” he said.
The Istanbul dialogue followed earlier meetings in Doha that had temporarily reduced border tensions. Facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye, the talks aimed to secure verifiable guarantees from Kabul to prevent Afghan soil from being used by terrorist organizations against Pakistan.
However, the talks were derailed when the Afghan delegation, acting under “frequent instructions from Kabul,” repeatedly altered its stance, sources familiar with the matter said.
“The delegation appeared to be under Kabul’s control, creating delays in progress,” a senior security source confirmed.
Despite Pakistan providing “irrefutable evidence” of terrorist activity, the Afghan side refrained from making any commitments. Mediators acknowledged that Pakistan’s demands were reasonable, yet Kabul’s representatives failed to act decisively.
Mounting Border Tensions and Pakistan’s Response
Tensions have sharply escalated between the two neighbours following multiple cross-border attacks. Earlier this month, Taliban forces and India-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani border posts on October 12.
Pakistan’s Armed Forces responded with precision strikes on militant strongholds inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar, Kabul, and border regions of North and South Waziristan, killing over 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 23 Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom during the clashes.The military emphasized that Pakistan acted in self-defence and reaffirmed that “no act of aggression against its sovereignty will go unanswered.”
Kabul Acting Under Indian Influence
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif later stated that a peace agreement was within reach but collapsed after Afghan negotiators received new instructions from Kabul.
“The talks were sabotaged,” Asif said in an interview. “Every time we reached an understanding, Kabul’s interference reversed progress. The Afghan regime is acting under Delhi’s control.”
He added that India was using Kabul to wage a “proxy low-intensity war” against Pakistan.
“If they even think of attacking Islamabad,” Asif warned, “we will gouge out their eyes. Any aggression will be met with a response fifty times stronger.”
Pakistan’s Final Position
Despite the collapse of the Istanbul round, Islamabad reiterated that peace remains possible — but only with verifiable guarantees.
“Our stance is consistent,” a senior Pakistani official said. “Without concrete assurances that Afghan soil will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan, no agreement is possible.”
Minister Tarar reaffirmed that Pakistan will use “all resources necessary” to eliminate terrorists, their sanctuaries, and their supporters.
“The security of our people is paramount,” he said. “We will continue every possible action to protect Pakistan from the menace of terrorism.”
