Taliban Says Ceasefire With Pakistan Will Hold Despite Collapse of Peace Talks

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has assured that its ceasefire with Pakistan remains intact, despite the failure of their latest round of talks aimed at resolving escalating border tensions.

Both sides met in Turkey on Thursday to finalise a truce initially agreed upon on October 19 in Qatar, following weeks of deadly clashes that left over 70 people dead and hundreds injured along their shared frontier.

In a statement released on Saturday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid blamed Pakistan for the breakdown of negotiations, accusing Islamabad of shirking responsibility for its own security challenges.

“During the discussions, the Pakistani side attempted to shift all responsibility for its security to the Afghan government, while showing no willingness to take responsibility for either Afghanistan’s security or its own,” Mujahid wrote on social media.

He added that Pakistan’s “irresponsible and uncooperative attitude” caused the talks to collapse.

However, Mujahid maintained that the ceasefire remains in effect, saying the Taliban government remains committed to preventing further escalation.

“There is no issue with the ceasefire previously agreed upon with Pakistan; it will hold,” he said during a press conference.

Neither Pakistan nor the mediators issued an immediate response to the Taliban’s remarks.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, hinted that the negotiations were faltering, accusing Afghanistan of failing to curb terrorist groups operating within its borders.

“Pakistan shall continue to exercise all options necessary to safeguard the security of its people and its sovereignty,” Tarar warned, insisting that Kabul had not fulfilled its pledge to clamp down on cross-border terrorism.

Relations between the two South Asian neighbours — once allies — have sharply deteriorated in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups responsible for deadly attacks on Pakistani soil, while the Taliban government denies the allegations, demanding that Pakistan respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

Tensions escalated further after border clashes in Spin Boldak on Friday, which left five civilians dead, including four women. Mujahid said Afghanistan refrained from retaliating “out of respect for the negotiating team and to prevent the loss of civilian lives.”

Despite the failed talks, both sides have signalled that they remain open to diplomacy, though fears persist that renewed hostilities could destabilise an already fragile region.

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