Islamabad – The third round of negotiations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, held under the mediation of Qatar and Turkey in Istanbul, concluded without any notable progress. According to informed sources, the Pakistani delegation has departed the negotiation venue and is on its way to the airport to return home. Diplomatic sources told the Hindukush Tribune Network that Pakistan expects the dialogue process to continue in order to break the current deadlock.

Sources indicate that the impasse arose due to the Taliban’s unreasonable and impractical proposals, preventing the talks from yielding any concrete results. Pakistan’s delegation had maintained a single-point demand: action against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with a written guarantee from the Taliban. The Afghan side did not express readiness to comply.

Following the unsuccessful talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet, which is set to be chaired via video link from Baku. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the talks’ failure, stating that Pakistan had made every effort but the Afghan side did not adopt a constructive approach.

Pakistani officials emphasize that the international community should urge the Afghan interim government to adhere to the two core commitments outlined in the 2020 Doha Agreement. These include initiating intra-Afghan political dialogue and ensuring Afghan territory is not used as a safe haven by groups or individuals that pose a threat to other countries.

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar praised the mediation efforts of Turkey and Qatar but stressed that the responsibility lies with the Afghan interim government, which has yet to fully honor its regional and international obligations to prevent terrorism. Tarar underscored that Pakistan harbors no hostility toward the Afghan people but cannot support Taliban policies that harm Afghanistan’s own citizens or neighboring countries. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s stance to defend its sovereignty at all costs.

Government sources indicated that high-level consultations are underway to determine the next course of action, and further details are expected to emerge in the coming days.