- Negotiations hit deadlock amid Taliban ‘inflexibility,’ with border violations in Chaman further strain atmosphere
- Iran launches separate diplomatic initiative to defuse crisis as Pakistan insists terrorism from Afghan soil is the core issue
ISLAMABAD: As tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban remain unabated, a trio of key Islamic countries—Qatar, Türkiye and Iran—has intensified diplomatic engagement to break the deadlock and nudge both sides back to the negotiating table. The stepped-up mediation comes amid stalled talks, simmering distrust, and fresh border violations that have further strained already fraught ties.
According to diplomatic sources, Qatar and Türkiye have remained in continuous contact with Islamabad and Kabul in recent days in an effort to overcome the stalemate. However, both rounds of negotiations reportedly ended in deadlock due to what sources described as the Taliban’s “inflexibility and lack of seriousness.”
Sources revealed that even as mediation was underway, the Taliban carried out border violations in Chaman, while their leadership continued to issue anti-Pakistan statements, deepening Islamabad’s concerns.
Following the efforts of Qatar and Türkiye, Iran has now launched its own initiative to mediate and promote reconciliation between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. For this purpose, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held telephone conversations a day earlier with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as well as the acting Afghan foreign minister. In these calls, he offered Tehran’s assistance in facilitating dialogue and lowering tensions between the two neighbouring Muslim countries.
It may be recalled that a day earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi reaffirmed that Pakistan remains committed to dialogue and peace but stressed that the core issue — terrorism emanating from Afghan soil — must be addressed first. Until that danger persists, he said, Pakistan will continue taking all necessary steps to safeguard its borders and citizens.
He warned that any shelter or support extended by the Taliban regime to terrorist groups would be unacceptable to Pakistan. He specifically identified the Fitna al-Hindustan (BLA) and Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP) as enemies of the state and people of Pakistan, adding that any party providing them refuge, assistance, or financial aid would not be regarded as an ally.
Andrabi confirmed that the third round of talks, mediated jointly by Türkiye and Qatar, concluded in Istanbul on November 7, while appreciating the ongoing efforts to prevent cross-border attacks from Afghan territory.
Detailing the negotiation process, he said the first round in Doha resulted in agreement on basic principles and a temporary ceasefire. The second round, intended to establish an implementation framework, faltered when the Taliban delegation attempted to retract earlier commitments and vitiated the atmosphere with accusations and provocative comments.
During the third round, Pakistan once again stressed the need for an effective monitoring mechanism. The Afghan side, however, sought to broaden the agenda instead of focusing on core issues and introduced irrelevant claims to prolong discussions. As a result, no meaningful agreement could be reached.
The statement further said that elements within the Afghan Taliban were attempting to project narratives about supposed disagreements within Islamabad over Afghan policy. The FO rejected this “misleading propaganda,” asserting that there is absolute clarity in Pakistan that ordinary citizens have suffered the most from terrorists operating from Afghanistan and their facilitators.
It emphasized that Pakistan’s armed forces remain fully capable of defending the population against any acts of aggression. The FO also noted attempts by certain elements within the Taliban to “instigate Pashtoon (Pakhtun) nationalism” inside Pakistan.
