Taliban govt says talks with Pakistan failed; ceasefire to hold

The Taliban government announced that recent talks with Pakistan ended without results, citing differences over security responsibilities.

According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, Pakistan sought to place full responsibility for its security issues on Afghanistan while declining to acknowledge its own obligations regarding regional security. Despite the failure of the discussions, the ceasefire agreed upon between Afghanistan and Pakistan on October 19 remains in effect.

The Taliban stated that attacks and casualties in Pakistan were not new and had occurred prior to the establishment of the current Afghan government, describing them as Pakistan’s internal problem.  Mujahid said friendly nations like Qatar and Turkiye were welcome but no mediation was needed for now. The talks in Istanbul ended after the Taliban rejected Pakistan’s demands as irresponsible.