Peace talks with Afghanistan ‘failed’, says Pakistan minister
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The October clashes began following Pakistani air strikes earlier that month on Kabul targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ISLAMABAD - Talks aimed at securing a long-term truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan concluded in Istanbul without a “workable solution”, said Pakistan’s Information Minister on Oct 29, in a blow for peace in the region after deadly clashes earlier in October.
The talks were aimed at reaching lasting peace between the South Asian neighbours after dozens were killed along their border
“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue, evading the key point upon which the dialogue process was initiated,” Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement early on Oct 29.
“Instead of accepting any responsibility, the Afghan Taliban resorted to blame game, deflection and ruses. The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution,” Mr Tarar added.
Afghanistan’s foreign and defence ministries did not immediately respond to requests from Reuters for comment on Mr Tarar’s statement.
Both nations agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Doha on Oct 19, but could not find common ground in a second round of talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar in Istanbul, Afghan and Pakistani sources briefed on the issue told Reuters on Oct 28, with each blaming the other for the failure.
A Pakistani security source said the Taliban had been unwilling to commit to rein in the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group hostile to Pakistan that Islamabad says operates with impunity inside Afghanistan.
An Afghan source familiar with the talks said they had ended after “tense exchanges” over the issue, adding that the Afghan side said it has no control over the Pakistani Taliban, which has launched attacks against Pakistani troops in recent weeks.
The sources sought anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.
The October clashes began following Pakistani air strikes earlier that month on the Afghan capital Kabul, among other locations, targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.
The Taliban responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600km border.
On Oct 25, Pakistan’s Defence Minister said he believed Afghanistan wanted peace but that failure to reach an agreement in Istanbul would mean “open war”.
Despite a ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban, weekend clashes killed five Pakistani soldiers and 25 Pakistani Taliban militants near the border with Afghanistan, the military said on Oct 26. REUTERS
