Talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Istanbul and brokered by Turkey and Qatar, have ended in a stalemate. Last minute attempts by the hosts to bring about a settlement have failed. However, the ceasefire agreed to in Qatar continues to hold. Talks are likely to resume on 6 November. Both sides blamed the other for the collapse, giving identical reasons. The official comment from Islamabad and Kabul has been that midway through talks, negotiators received phone calls from their respective capitals, after which they hardened their stands, resulting in failure.

There were major differences. Pakistan insisted Afghanistan reign in the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), which has regularly targeted its forces in Khyb er Pakhtunkhwa (KP). This implied that Afghanistan would be held acc

See Full Page