Pakistan-Afghanistan Edge Towards ‘Open War’ As Turkey Peace Talks Collapse | World News
The conclusion of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul without any progress has put the fragile ceasefire at risk. Both sides accused each other of causing Türkiye-brokered negotiations to reach a deadlock. Amid the stalemate, the Taliban issued a stern warning to Islamabad, declaring that any future attack along the Durand Line would be met with a “mutual response”.
Pakistan’s Secret Agreement with a Foreign Country
According to Afghanistan’s TOLO News, Pakistan made a rare admission during talks revealing that it had made a deal with a foreign country that allowed drone strikes to be carried out.
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According to TOLO News, “Pakistan admitted that it had made an agreement with a foreign country that allowed drone attacks and that it could not prevent such attacks because it was not possible to break the agreement.” However, Islamabad did not disclose which country the agreement was with.
This statement came after Pakistan signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September and at a time when cooperation with the United States was deepening.
Pakistan’s ‘Right to Reply’ to TTP
During the discussions, the Pakistani delegation insisted that Kabul recognize the “right to respond” to attacks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
However, the Taliban argued that the TTP issue was Pakistan’s internal matter. “The Afghan side is determined to ensure that no one uses Afghan territory to harm other nations,” sources close to the Taliban delegation told TOLO News.
New Warning from Taliban
The Taliban reiterated that any attack from Pakistan would invite strong retaliation. Taliban representatives were quoted as saying, “If Afghan territory is bombed, Islamabad will be targeted.”
This warning came after the latest statements of Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, as quoted by Reuters, saying, “If there is no agreement, we have the option of going to open war with them. But I saw that they want peace.”
Stalled Talks
Sources cited by the Associated Press (AP) confirmed that the talks have reached an impasse, with both countries continuing to mutually apportion blame. Pakistani officials reportedly criticized Kabul’s reluctance to accept what they described as Islamabad’s “reasonable and legitimate demands” on its national security.
Meanwhile, the Taliban delegation accused Pakistan of being “reluctant” and “disorganized” during the discussions. Security sources told TOLO News that there was “no coordination” among the Pakistani representatives who allegedly withdrew and left the negotiating table.
