KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has warned it will respond firmly to any Pakistani military action after three days of peace talks between the two sides in Istanbul ended without agreement.
Taliban interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani told Afghanistan’s Ariana News that the group “would not bow to external pressure” and would defend the country’s sovereignty if attacked. “Any attack would be met with a decisive response that will serve as a lesson for Pakistan and a message for others,” he said.
The warning came after the collapse of negotiations aimed at easing recent hostilities following deadly cross-border clashes earlier this month. Both sides accused each other of failing to show flexibility during the Istanbul meeting, which was mediated by Qatar and Turkiye.
Taliban negotiators accused Islamabad of undermining the talks by putting forward “unreasonable and unacceptable” demands. Meanwhile, Pakistani media reported that the Taliban delegation had initially agreed several times to Islamabad’s request for verifiable action against the Pakistani Taliban, known as TTP, and other militants, but later reversed its position following directives from Kabul.
Pakistan has long accused the Taliban of sheltering TTP fighters, who have carried out a series of attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The Taliban denies the allegation, saying it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that “open war” could break out if the peace process failed, saying Islamabad has the right to defend the country and its citizens.
The Istanbul meeting was the second round of negotiations between the two sides. The first, held in Doha on 19 October, resulted in a temporary ceasefire following days of intense fighting and Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan.
