Pakistan and Afghanistan: Sharp escalation after third round of talks fails

Pakistan and Afghanistan announced the failure of the third round of negotiations aimed at a ceasefire along their shared border, amid mutual accusations over the deadlock, following recent clashes that resulted in dozens of deaths.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that the talks failed due to the inflexibility of the Taliban delegation, adding that a fourth round has not yet been scheduled and that the negotiation process has reached an impasse, noting that continued dialogue without results is no longer effective.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the failure of the negotiations resulted from the “irresponsible behavior and lack of cooperation” of the Pakistani delegation, emphasizing that the Muslim population of Pakistan remains a brother to Afghanistan and that the country will cooperate within its available capacities.

Related Topics:
Istanbul Talks: Pakistan warns of open conflict with Afghanistan