A fresh round of Pakistan–Afghanistan peace talks mediated by Saudi Arabia concluded without any breakthrough, officials from both countries confirmed on Wednesday. Despite the stalemate, both sides agreed to uphold the ceasefire currently in place.
The negotiations, held in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, were part of ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Qatar, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia to ease escalating tensions following deadly border clashes in October — the worst since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Although a ceasefire negotiated in Doha has mostly held, attempts to expand it into a comprehensive peace deal have repeatedly faltered. Follow-up talks in Istanbul last month also ended without progress.
At the latest meeting, Pakistan pushed the Afghan Taliban leadership for concrete guarantees that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) would not be allowed to operate from Afghan soil. The Taliban, however, rejected the proposal, arguing that they cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.
Islamabad maintains that militants based in Afghanistan continue to launch attacks on Pakistani territory. Pakistani officials say several recent suicide bombers — including one who killed 12 people in Islamabad — have been identified as Afghan nationals. Kabul denies the claims, insisting that Afghan territory is not being used for cross-border militancy.
The October clashes between Pakistani and Afghan border forces left dozens dead, sharply worsening relations and prompting renewed diplomatic pressure for a durable security mechanism along the frontier.
While both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the ceasefire, the talks once again ended without a long-term agreement — leaving the future of the fragile peace uncertain.
