No resolution as Afghanistan, Pakistan end peace talks in Istanbul, sources say

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By Asif Shahzad and Sayed Hassib

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul to broker a long-term truce have ended without a resolution, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, a blow for peace in the region after deadly clashes this month.

The talks aimed to reach lasting peace between the South Asian neighbours after dozens were killed along their border in the worst such violence since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021.

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.

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.

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.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad and Sayed Hassib in Kabul; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Clarence Fernandez)