Pakistan–Taliban Talks Collapse Again — Is Conflict Inevitable?

Lieutenant General (retd.) Tariq Khan, senior defence analyst, said the latest Istanbul talks collapsed predictably and Pakistan took part mainly to secure international understanding and support rather than to expect a breakthrough. Khan argued the Afghan Taliban are internally fractured — with rival Qandhari and Haqqani factions — and lack the unity or popular legitimacy to decisively act against the TTP; he also repeated allegations of Indian interference that, he said, had helped weaponise proxy groups against Pakistan. While Islamabad claims “irrefutable evidence” that the Taliban are sheltering TTP fighters, Khan said any Pakistani response should focus on precision strikes against camps and resources that impose pain on the Afghan authorities without triggering all-out war, alongside selective economic pressure such as the existing border closure.

Khan warned that military action alone will not solve Pakistan’s internal terrorism problem, arguing that local communities must be empowered to secure their own areas and rebuild trust with security forces. He expressed scepticism that the fragile ceasefire would hold now that talks have broken down and predicted renewed conflict before any negotiated settlement, saying only a decisive shift by one side would force a realistic peace. Khan dismissed claims that Pakistan needs U.S. backing to act, urged careful use of Pakistan’s full-spectrum capabilities to avoid a prolonged attrition conflict, and cautioned against Pakistan engineering divisions inside Afghanistan even as he urged insistence that Kabul fulfil commitments to prevent its soil being used by militants.