No intention to hold more talks with Afghan Taliban: Pakistan

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan has no intention to hold another round of truce talks with Afghan Taliban, after the latest round of negotiations in Istanbul collapsed, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

In an interview with a private TV channel after the fresh Istanbul parleys ended in a deadlock, Khawaja Asif said the Turkiye-announced talks mechanism was no more existed. “The mediators have given up. The Afghan delegations was in tandem with the Pakistani stance but was not willing to give it in writing,” he added.

The defence minister, however, made it clear that if there is an attack in Pakistan then the retaliation will be forceful.

Asif said the talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on addressing cross-border terrorism were concluded without result and have entered an “indefinite phase” as negotiators failed to bridge deep differences between the two sides, adding the ceasefire stands for the time being.

The defence minister said the Afghan Taliban delegation again came to Istanbul “without any programme” and they were not willing to sign a written agreement. “They said that they would only respect the verbal agreement, but there is no room to do that,” he added.

Asif elaborated that during the earlier rounds, the negotiators urged for another round. “Even after the talks in Istanbul failed, they committed that they would participate in the next round,” he said and added “Our returning empty-handed reinforces a lack of faith in Afghanistan. The situation, God forbid if it flares up, if there are attacks on us from their soil, then we will respond depending on the gravity of the situation.”

Also Read: Pak-Afghan peace talks in Istanbul hit snags

Asif clarified that the ceasefire stands for the time being, but warned the “moment there is a ceasefire violation from their side, we will respond befittingly”.

“If they have put forward any unacceptable demand, then it is a means of escape, since they knew they would be unsuccessful, they can turn around and say that Pakistan denied our demands,” added the minister.

He reiterated that Pakistan has one main demand: the cessation of attacks from Afghan soil.

Pakistan’s delegation, led by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Asim Malik, included senior military, intelligence and Foreign Office officials. The Afghan Taliban side was headed by General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) chief Abdul Haq Waseq and included Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani and Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib.

- 'Keep the war away' -

Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that regularly claims deadly attacks in Pakistan.

The "Pakistan delegation has handed over its evidence-based, justified and logical demands to the mediators with a singular aim: to put an end to cross-border terrorism", Islamabad's foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Friday.

Negotiations stalled last week when it came to finalising ceasefire details, with both sides accusing the other of blocking progress.

The stalemate shows tensions that were previously "simmering are now boiling", said Abdul Basit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

"The elephant in the room is the TTP," he told AFP. "I wouldn't be surprised if the talks go south."

Both sides have warned of renewed hostilities if the process fails.

In Chaman, Abdul Habib said residents were "in great distress" after "bullets struck our houses".

"We ask the authorities to consider our situation and show sympathy towards us. May God create peace among them and bring reconciliation between them," the 61-year-old said.–Agencies