Peace talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan stalled on Friday, a day after both sides accused each other of escalating border clashes that threatened to breach a Qatar-brokered ceasefire.
The update on Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s talks came after an Afghan official said four Afghan civilians had been killed and five others wounded in clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces along their shared border despite joint negotiations.
Kabul did not immediately comment on Pakistan’s claim.
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In a statement thanking Turkey and Qatar for brokering the talks, Tarar claimed the Afghan Taliban had failed to fulfill promises it made to the international community to curb terrorism as part of the 2021 Doha peace accord.
Tarar said Pakistan “will not support any action by the Taliban government that is not in the interest of the Afghan people or neighboring countries.” He did not elaborate further, but added that Islamabad continues to seek peace and goodwill for Afghans, but will take “all necessary measures” to protect its own people and sovereignty.
Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of information and culture in Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, blamed Pakistan for starting the nighttime firing but said Afghan forces did not respond because of peace talks in Istanbul.
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But a tense calm largely prevailed along the Chaman border in southwest Pakistan, where both sides briefly exchanged fire on Thursday night, with each side blaming the other.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said on Friday that Afghanistan had started the shooting. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said on Thursday evening X that “firing was initiated from the Afghan side, but the situation has been brought under control”.
The ministry said the ceasefire brokered by Qatar on October 19 remained intact.
Andrabi said Pakistan’s national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, is leading the Pakistani delegation in talks with Afghanistan. The Afghan side, according to Mujahid, is led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, director of general intelligence.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring Pakistani militants who carry out cross-border attacks, which Kabul denies.
Tensions have remained high since deadly border clashes erupted last month, killing dozens — including soldiers, civilians and suspected militants — and injuring hundreds on both sides. The fighting began after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan and vowed revenge.
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The violence, the worst between the neighbors in years, subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks in recent months, most claimed by the Pakistani Taliban – known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP – a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and the United States.
Although separate, the TTP is closely linked to the Afghan Taliban. Many of its leaders and fighters are believed to have fled to Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, further straining relations between the two countries.
