Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday stated that dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been halted, with “no programme for the fourth round of talks”.
“There is a complete deadlock. The negotiations have entered an indefinite phase,” he said while speaking at the private media channel.
Pakistan and Afghanistan had started the third round of discussions in Istanbul on Thursday in order to reduce rising tensions between the both nations. The latest meeting comes after a five-day talk that ended with a last-minute temporary agreement.
Khawaja Asif appreciated Turkiye and Qatar for their “sincere efforts” to facilitate talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“They support our stance. Even the Afghan delegation agreed with us; however, they were not ready to sign a written agreement,” Khawaja Asif said, adding that Pakistan would accept only a formal, written agreement.
“They wanted verbal assurances to be accepted, which is not possible in international negotiations,” he stated.
The defence minister mentioned that mediators try their best, but eventually they lose hope too. “If they had even a little optimism, they would have asked us to stay. Our return empty-handed shows that even they have given up on Kabul,” he said.
“Our only demand is that Afghanistan must ensure its soil is not used for attacks on Pakistan,” the defence minister mentioned.
“If there is any attack from Afghan soil, we will respond accordingly,” he confirmed.
