Talks Fail in Istanbul: Pakistan Says Taliban Offered No Guarantee to Stop Cross-Border Terrorism
ISLAMABAD / ISTANBUL:Four days of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul ended without an agreement after Pakistan said the Taliban delegation failed to provide guarantees to stop militants from using Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.
Information Minister **Aṭā Tarar** announced on social media that the negotiations produced no workable solution. According to Tarar, Pakistan repeatedly demanded that Afghan territory not be used by Pakistan-based militant groups to carry out attacks, but the Taliban—despite being shown evidence—offered no assurance to prevent cross-border terrorism.
Tarar said the Afghan delegation repeatedly diverted the discussion away from the core issue and avoided key points. He maintained that the evidence Pakistan presented was “sufficient and irrefutable,” and that Islamabad’s sole agenda in the dialogue was to secure a commitment to halt attacks emanating from across the border.
The minister also accused the Taliban delegation of resorting to blame, evasions and pretexts during talks. He warned that Pakistan will continue operations against terrorists and their supporters, and stressed that Islamabad will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens from terrorism.
Tarar expressed gratitude to **Qatar and Turkey** for facilitating the talks and for their efforts to dissuade the Taliban from using the dialogue process as leverage against Pakistan. Pakistani sources told reporters the Taliban delegation’s positions changed repeatedly—apparently due to instructions from Kabul—undermining the prospects for a durable outcome.
Pakistan’s defense establishment has made stopping cross-border attacks its principal demand. Defence Minister **Khawaja Asif** has signaled a hard line, saying that if issues with Afghanistan cannot be resolved through negotiations, Pakistan will consider more forceful options.
The failure of the Istanbul talks leaves Islamabad facing a difficult choice between continuing diplomatic engagement and intensifying security operations to stop militant attacks originating from Afghan soil.
