Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Friday that ongoing negotiations with Afghanistan have failed to yield progress, saying the latest round of talks in Istanbul ended without agreement.

Speaking in a televised statement, Asif said the third round of discussions, which began on Thursday, “has reached a complete deadlock.” He thanked Turkey and Qatar for what he described as their “sincere efforts” to ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

Asif noted that the Afghan delegation expressed verbal consent on certain points but was unwilling to sign a written agreement. “Pakistan will not accept any informal or unwritten arrangement,” he said. “Verbal assurances are not acceptable in international negotiations.”

Relations have deteriorated in recent weeks following Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and the border province of Paktia on October 9. Two days later, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for attacks targeting security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in multiple casualties among civilians and police.