‘Talks Over’: Pakistan Minister Khawaja Asif Issues Stern Warning To Afghanistan

<p>Just as diplomatic optimism was building around peace negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the dialogue has once again collapsed. The talks, held in Istanbul and facilitated by Turkey, were aimed at de-escalating tensions following a series of deadly border clashes.</p>
<h3>Pakistan-Afghanistan Peace Talks Collapse</h3>
<p>Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the negotiations had stalled, while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared bluntly that &ldquo;the talks are over,&rdquo; warning that the fragile ceasefire would hold only if no further violations occurred from the Afghan side, as per a report on The Hindustan Times.<br /><br />The breakdown came shortly after Afghan officials alleged that four civilians were killed in recent cross-border skirmishes. The renewed violence threatens to unravel the ceasefire that both nations had agreed to just a week earlier. Turkey, which brokered the discussions, had expressed confidence that operational details of the peace mechanism would be finalized in a follow-up meeting scheduled for November 6.<br /><br /><span class=”cf0″>Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, speaking amid the stalled peace talks with Afghanistan, stated that Pakistan &ldquo;will not support any steps by the Taliban government that are not in the interest of the Afghan people or neighboring countries,&rdquo; according to the Associated Press.</span></p>
<p>The latest tensions trace back to October, when explosions in Kabul&mdash;which the Taliban blamed on Pakistan&mdash;sparked a cycle of retaliatory attacks. The Taliban claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, while Islamabad acknowledged 23 deaths. Although a ceasefire was quickly brokered, it proved fragile, with Pakistani airstrikes reportedly killing at least 10 people inside Afghan territory.<br /><br />The most recent flare-up on Thursday night saw both sides exchanging fire along the Chaman border in southwest Pakistan. With both militaries now on high alert, regional observers warn that peace efforts between Islamabad and Kabul may once again be on the brink of collapse.</p>
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