Khawaja Asif blames Afghan Taliban after Doha, Istanbul peace talks fail

WEB DESK: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan made “sincere and full efforts” to achieve regional peace through the Doha and Istanbul talks, but received no positive response from the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have reportedly agreed to resume their stalled talks in Istanbul following a request from the hosts, sources said on Thursday.

It was also told that the Pakistani delegation, which was preparing to return home, will now stay in Istanbul for further discussions. The decision to restart the dialogue aims to give peace another chance through renewed diplomatic engagement.

Speaking to Al Arabiya on Thursday, Asif said Pakistan wanted peaceful relations with both Afghanistan and India, but warned that any act of aggression from either side would be met with a firm response. “The world often recalls how seven Indian aircraft were shot down, we know how to defend ourselves,” he remarked.

The minister accused the Afghan Taliban regime of prioritising India’s proxy interests over the welfare of its own people, saying that despite Pakistan’s decades of hospitality to three million Afghan refugees, Kabul had failed to curb cross-border terrorism.

Asif said Pakistan had repeatedly demanded that Afghan soil not be used for attacks and sought written guarantees to end state-sponsored terrorism. However, the Taliban government refused to provide such assurances, even after agreeing verbally on multiple occasions.

He further revealed that two years ago, the Taliban demanded Rs10 billion for relocating militants from the western border, but Pakistan questioned what guarantees existed that these fighters would not resurface along the eastern frontier.

The minister said a written agreement would have made the international community aware of Afghanistan’s role in sponsoring terror activities.

On regional issues, Asif said that if Hamas lays down arms, then Israel must also be bound by guarantees to maintain peace. He added that Pakistan was open to joining a “Gaza Task Force” aimed at supporting peace and stability in the region.