ISLAMABAD
\nThe talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have collapsed, with the Pakistani delegation returning home, confirmed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
\nThe third round of talks, hosted in Istanbul, ended in a deadlock after Afghan interlocutors refused to sign written guarantees sought by Pakistan.
\nSpeaking after the delegation\u2019s return, Khawaja Asif said the talks are over and there is no schedule for another round. He described Pakistan\u2019s empty-handed return as evidence that even mediators have lost faith in the Afghan side\u2019s willingness to deliver.
\nHe thanked Turkey and Qatar for their sincere mediation and for supporting Pakistan\u2019s position.
\nAsif said Afghan representatives insisted their assurances be accepted verbally, which Pakistan could not accept.
\n\u201cFinal agreements in international negotiations are recorded in writing,\u201d he said, adding that while the Afghan delegation agreed with Pakistan\u2019s stance during discussions, it refused to put commitments down on paper.
\nThe defence minister warned that Pakistan will respond if attacks originate from Afghan soil, but stressed that if no action emanates from Afghanistan, the ceasefire remains in place. \u201cOur sole demand is that Afghan territory must not be used to launch attacks into Pakistan,\u201d he said.
\nAsif also urged the Afghan Taliban to become part of a written agreement instead of offering verbal guarantees, calling such formalisation beneficial for both countries and the wider region. He suggested that if the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is not under Taliban control, Afghanistan should allow Pakistan to take necessary measures; conversely, Pakistan\u2019s actions in Afghanistan should be unopposed if conducted under this premise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have collapsed, with the Pakistani delegation returning home, confirmed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. The third round of talks, hosted in Istanbul, ended in a deadlock after Afghan interlocutors refused to sign written guarantees sought by Pakistan. Speaking after the delegation\u2019s return, Khawaja Asif said the talks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-513436","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n