Border Clash Stalls Pakistan-Afghanistan Peace Talks — Officials Report Four Civilian Deaths

Border clash stalls Istanbul peace talks, Afghan official reports four civilian deaths

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Peace talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan were stalled on Friday after cross-border gunfire threatened to undermine a ceasefire brokered by Qatar.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said negotiations were at a deadlock a day after an Afghan official reported that four Afghan civilians were killed and five others wounded in clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces along the shared border while delegates met in Istanbul. There was no immediate comment from Kabul on Pakistan's version of events.

In a statement thanking Turkey and Qatar for mediating the talks, Tarar reiterated Pakistan's contention that the Afghan Taliban has not met promises to curb terrorism under the 2021 Doha agreement. He warned that Pakistan 'will not support any steps by the Taliban government that are not in the interest of the Afghan people or neighboring countries,' and said Islamabad seeks peace and goodwill for Afghans but will take 'all necessary measures' to protect its people and sovereignty.

Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of the Information and Culture Department in Afghanistan's Spin Boldak district, blamed Pakistan for initiating the overnight shooting and said Afghan forces refrained from responding because of the ongoing talks in Istanbul. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Afghanistan initiated the shooting. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information posted on X that 'the shooting was initiated from the Afghan side, but the situation was brought under control' and said the Oct. 19 ceasefire brokered by Qatar remained in effect.

A tense calm largely prevailed along the Chaman border in southwest Pakistan, where the two sides briefly exchanged fire Thursday night and traded accusations over who opened fire first.

Pakistan's delegation in the Istanbul talks is being led by National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, while the Afghan delegation is led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, director of general intelligence, according to Mujahid.

The two countries have long-standing tensions. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering Pakistani militants who carry out cross-border attacks, a charge Kabul denies. Tensions escalated last month when heavy border fighting killed dozens and wounded hundreds on both sides after explosions in Kabul on Oct. 9, which the Taliban blamed on Pakistan. Those clashes eased after Qatar negotiated a ceasefire on Oct. 19.

Pakistan has also experienced a recent rise in militant attacks, many claimed by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a U.N. and U.S.-designated terrorist organization that is organizationally separate but closely allied with the Afghan Taliban. Many TTP leaders and fighters are believed to have sought refuge in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, further straining ties between Islamabad and Kabul.

Reporting by The Associated Press. Ahmed reported from Islamabad; Abdul Qahar Afghan contributed from Kabul.