The latest round of Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks in Istanbul has ended in deadlock, exposing Islamabad’s insincerity and its veiled attempts to shift blame onto Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has issued a strongly worded statement accusing Pakistan of obstructing progress and acting irresponsibly despite mediation efforts by Turkey and Qatar.
In its official clarification released by Zabihullah Mujahid on November 8, the Taliban government expressed gratitude to “the Republic of Turkey and the State of Qatar – the two brotherly countries – for hosting and mediating the talks.” It stated that the Afghan representatives had attended the discussions “in good faith and with appropriate authority” on November 6 and 7, expecting Pakistan to finally approach the issue “seriously and constructively”.
However, the statement revealed that Pakistan once again demonstrated its “irresponsible and non-cooperative attitude”, seeking to “refer all responsibilities regarding its security to the Afghan government”, while showing “no willingness to assume responsibility for either Afghanistan’s security or its own”. The Afghan delegation, acting on leadership instructions, had entered the talks with hopes of finding “a fundamental solution”, but Pakistan’s behaviour left the discussions fruitless.
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