The fourth round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has begun in Istanbul, sources said on Thursday.

The previous three rounds of dialogue in Istanbul had ended without any breakthrough.

Earlier, Pakistan agreed to rejoin the negotiations at the request of the host countries to give peace “another chance.”

According to diplomatic sources, the dialogue is being revived at the request of Qatar and Turkiye as part of efforts to give peace “another chance”.

The Pakistani delegation, which was scheduled to return home after the talks failed to produce results, will now stay in Istanbul.

During talks, Pakistan has reiterated its demand that Afghanistan prevent its soil from being used by terrorists targeting Pakistan.

However, the Afghan delegation not only failed to provide any assurances on this demand but also turned the talks into a blame game.

In a statement, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that the four-day dialogue ended without any tangible progress, as the Afghan side failed to agree on a workable solution and instead sought to divert attention from the core issue.

He said the Afghan delegation indulged in the blame-game, delaying tactics, and excuses,” while Pakistan presented concrete evidence of cross-border terrorism — evidence that, Tarar said, was acknowledged by both the Afghan Taliban and the host countries.

“Pakistan has always approached these talks with sincerity and the intent to achieve peace,” Tarar said.

“Unfortunately, the Taliban government continues to support anti-Pakistan terrorists. Pakistan will take every necessary measure to protect its people.”

He added that Islamabad had repeatedly urged the Taliban regime to honour the commitments made under the Doha Agreement, but no action had been taken so far.

“The Taliban government is neither accountable to its own people nor interested in peace. It thrives on a war economy and is pushing the Afghan population toward another devastating conflict,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a strong warning, saying: “If any terrorist attack or suicide bombing occurs in Pakistan, Afghanistan will also have to bear the consequences.”

According to the sources, the Afghan delegation frequently changed its stance during the negotiations, further slowing down the process.

The Taliban government has yet to issue an official response to the breakdown of the talks.

Pakistani officials maintain that operations against terrorists, their hideouts, facilitators, and supporters will continue with full force.

They stressed that Pakistan’s stance remains unequivocal — there will be no compromise on national security, whether at the negotiation table or on the battlefield.