Pakistan Ready to Resume Taliban Talks if Proposed by Turkey, Qatar

DID Press: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawja Asif said Islamabad is ready to resume dialogue with Afghanistan’s Taliban government if such a proposal comes from Turkey or Qatar. He cited a lack of cohesion within the Taliban administration as a key obstacle to reaching any agreement.

Speaking to Geo News, Asif said, “If Turkey and Qatar suggest resuming negotiations between Islamabad and the Taliban government, Pakistan cannot reject such a request.”

He described both countries as “longstanding friends of Pakistan” and noted that Islamabad would not take a negative stance toward any initiative coming from Ankara or Doha.

The minister also praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s efforts in facilitating recent talks, saying that Taliban representatives in the Istanbul meeting had verbally accepted several points but refused to put their commitments in writing.

“As the Taliban government is not unified, this lack of internal cohesion has prevented progress toward a final agreement,” Asif added.

The third round of talks between Pakistan and the Taliban government, held in Istanbul on Sunday, November 9, ended without results. Both sides later accused each other of imposing unrealistic conditions that led to the stalemate.