Both agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 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 said, 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 no control over the Pakistani Taliban, which has launched attacks against Pakistani troops in recent weeks.
Read more: Delhi acid attack case: Fake story, revenge plot, rape allegations — Police probe reveals shocking details
The sources sought anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.Spokespersons for Afghanistan’s Taliban government and defence ministry, and for Pakistan’s army, defence and foreign ministries, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The October clashes began after Pakistani air strikes this month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, among other locations, targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.
The Taliban responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600-km (1,600 miles) border.
The breakdown in talks that have caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, could strain the ceasefire between Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Read more: Siddaramaiah not interested in national politics, Shivakumar backs CM’s leadership amid reshuffle talks
On Saturday, 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 Sunday.
