US Drones Real Reason Why Pakistan-Afghanistan Peace Talks Failed, Not India

In the latest twist to regional tensions, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has blamed India for the breakdown of peace talks with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. However, diplomatic sources and Afghan media reports suggest that US drone operations from Pakistani soil — not India — were the actual reason behind the collapse of negotiations held in Turkey.

According to a TOLO News report, the Taliban had demanded that Pakistan stop violating Afghan airspace and halt drone strikes launched from its territory. In return, Kabul would prevent Afghan soil from being used for attacks against Pakistan. Islamabad, however, refused to accept these conditions, citing a binding agreement with the United States allowing drone operations in Afghan territory.

Sources close to the talks said that Pakistan initially seemed open to discussion but changed its stance after a phone call — believed to be from its military high command. This abrupt reversal reportedly shocked Qatari and Turkish mediators, who were facilitating the talks.

Afghan journalists confirmed that Pakistan admitted to having a deal with Washington, permitting surveillance and strike drones to operate over Afghanistan. “For the first time, Pakistan acknowledged that it cannot break its agreement with the US,” TOLO News posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Following the collapse of the talks, Khwaja Asif publicly accused India of sabotaging the process, claiming that “Delhi controls Kabul’s leadership from behind the scenes.” Yet, what the minister omitted was the internal discord within Islamabad’s delegation after being reminded of its drone pact with the US.

In a fiery statement, Asif even threatened the Taliban with a repeat of the 2001 Tora Bora offensive, warning that Pakistan could “annihilate the regime and drive it back to the caves” if provoked.

Under former US President Donald Trump, Pakistan’s strategic alignment with Washington grew stronger, marked by high-profile meetings and renewed defence cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir both visited the Oval Office earlier this year, reinforcing military and intelligence coordination. Trump, in turn, demanded the return of the Bagram Airbase from Taliban control, warning that “bad things will happen” if Washington’s demand is ignored.

The current conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted in September after attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants escalated into open warfare. Pakistani airstrikes, including drone and JF-17 jet bombings, targeted areas in Kabul and Kandahar, reportedly killing over 200 people — many of them civilians.

While Islamabad accused Kabul of harbouring terrorists, analysts highlight the irony that Pakistan — once a victim of US drone warfare — is now allowing American drones to operate from its own soil. Afghan journalist Ali M Latifi noted on X, “Pakistan admitting US conducts drone strikes from its territory is deeply revealing. It was once the biggest casualty of Obama’s drone wars.”

With its economy struggling and diplomatic credibility eroding, Pakistan finds itself caught between American pressure and Taliban defiance. The revelation of its drone cooperation with the US has not only undermined its regional standing but also exposed the real reason the Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks failed — not India, but Islamabad’s helplessness before Washington’s drone demands.