No progress is made in the Pak-Afghan Istanbul negotiations, and no future round is scheduled: Asif Khawaja

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared that the Pakistani delegation has returned home after the breakdown of the Pak-Afghan negotiations in Istanbul.

The third round of negotiations, which were held in Istanbul, came to a standstill after Afghan negotiators declined to sign the written assurances that Pakistan had requested.

Following the delegation’s return, Khawaja Asif stated that the negotiations are concluded and that no further round is planned. Even mediators have lost faith in the Afghan side’s ability to deliver, he said, citing Pakistan’s empty-handed return as proof. He expressed gratitude to Qatar and Turkey for their genuine mediation efforts and for bolstering Pakistan’s stance.

According to Asif, Pakistan was unable to comply with Afghan representatives’ insistence that their guarantees be verbally accepted. He added that although the Afghan team supported Pakistan’s position during talks, it declined to formalize its promises. “Final agreements in international negotiations are recorded in writing,” he said.

The defense minister emphasized that if no action comes from Afghanistan, the ceasefire will continue, but he also warned that Pakistan will retaliate if strikes come from Afghan territory. “We only ask that attacks against Pakistan not be launched from Afghan territory,” he stated.

In addition, Asif called for the Afghan Taliban to join a written agreement rather than making verbal promises, stating that formalization will benefit both nations as well as the larger area. He proposed that Afghanistan should permit Pakistan to take the required actions if the Taliban do not control the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP); on the other hand, Pakistan’s operations in Afghanistan should not be contested if they are carried out on this pretext.