A new round of direct talks between delegations from Pakistan and the Taliban, hosted by Saudi Arabia, ended without progress late Sunday, Pakistan’s Dawn News reported, citing two sources familiar with the discussions.
Sources have confirmed to Amu TV that a delegation of the Taliban had travelled to Saudi Arabia for the talks.
The sources told the outlet that the confidential meeting in Riyadh concluded with both sides holding to their previous positions and showing no sign of compromise. Despite the stalemate, another round of talks in Saudi Arabia remains possible, Dawn reported.
The initiative marks a separate Saudi track from earlier mediation efforts led by Turkey and Qatar. Dawn said progress has been slow across all channels. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan previously announced plans to send a delegation to Pakistan, though the visit has not taken place.
A joint Turkey–Qatar effort helped establish a fragile ceasefire after cross-border clashes in early October, but Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andarabi has said the truce remains “unstable” because it is conditional on the halt of militant activity.
Sources confirmed to Amu TV that the Taliban delegation in Riyadh was the same team that took part in earlier rounds of talks in Istanbul. Dawn reported that the Pakistani team was also the same. According to the report, Saudi officials suggested that Pakistan consider allowing the resumption of bilateral trade while discussions on cross-border militancy continue, but Islamabad declined the proposal.
At Saudi Arabia’s request, both sides agreed to keep details of the meeting confidential. The Taliban have not issued any public comment on the talks.
Tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban have worsened since the collapse of negotiations in Istanbul, prompting renewed attempts by Saudi Arabia to mediate. Earlier, sources told Amu that a Taliban delegation had travelled to Riyadh for discussions aimed at easing the dispute.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban of enabling the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory, a charge the Taliban deny. The two sides have exchanged increasingly sharp warnings in recent weeks, and three rounds of talks have ended without agreement.
The border dispute has also deepened the economic fallout as key Afghanistan–Pakistan crossings have now been closed for more than 50 days. Only the Torkham crossing remains partially open, and solely for Pakistan’s one-way expulsion of migrants.
