Fresh round of Afghanistan-Pakistan talks fails to reach a deal, officials say

Afghan refugees wait to leave for their homeland through a border crossing point on the outskirts of Chaman, a border town on the Pakistan-Afghan border. File picture: H Achakzai/AP

A new round of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan has failed to produce a breakthrough to end tensions between the South Asian neighbours, although they agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire, officials from both countries said on Wednesday.

The talks in Saudi Arabia last weekend were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia aimed at cooling tensions following deadly border clashes in October.

A ceasefire agreed in Doha has largely held, though efforts to secure a longer-term arrangement through follow-up talks in Istanbul last month failed to produce a peace agreement.

Three Afghan and two Pakistani officials told Reuters the latest talks followed a Saudi initiative and included representatives from Pakistan’s military, intelligence services and foreign office.

Both sides agreed to maintain the ceasefire, they said.

At the heart of the dispute, Islamabad says Afghan-based militants have carried out recent attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings involving Afghan nationals. Kabul denies the charge, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi did not comment on the location of the talks or confirm whether they were held in Saudi Arabia.

However, in remarks to political analysts in Kabul he rejected Islamabad’s accusations that Afghan soil is used by anti-Pakistan militants, calling the allegations shifting and inconsistent.

“Our position toward Pakistan is that we still seek to resolve issues through understanding and dialogue," he said, adding: "And we urge Pakistani officials: focus on solving your own fundamental problems, and value the constructive steps taken by the Islamic Emirate".

Pakistan's foreign ministry, its military and the Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

People from the military, intelligence agencies and the foreign office represented Islamabad in the talks, a Pakistani official said.

Dozens were killed in October’s clashes, the worst violence on the border since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Islamabad says it wants Kabul to provide a written commitment to act against anti-Pakistan groups. The Taliban say this goes beyond their responsibility and they cannot be expected to guarantee security in Pakistan.

— Reuters