A meeting between U.S., Afghan officials, and Taliban representatives to hash out the shape of Afghanistan's future political options remains in limbo as American troops are due to withdraw starting this summer.
The U.S. exit is part of a negotiated settlement with the Taliban that diplomats fear could instead lead to a new round of conflict with the current elected Afghan government.
Taliban Calls for Talks, Pakistan Tries to Intervene
Involved parties such as Pakistan and the Taliban have been trying to revive talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government to hopefully end the violence in Afghanistan, but no apparent results can be seen yet.
While Taliban representatives have sent letters to the Afghanistan government for direct talks between the two parties, Pakistan has also met separately with leaders to find an agreement point.
However, eyes are on the supposed U.S.-backed conference in Istanbul that never happened. The meeting was supposed to get Afghan leaders and the Taliban to set up a standard framework for peace talks.
Analysts said the fallout in peace discussions may have been affected by U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement that American troops will be out of Afghanistan come September 11.
It is worth noting, though, that the Taliban already opted out of the Istanbul talks days before Biden announced the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Expert: Pakistan's Economy in the Balance
Besides Afghanistan and other involved parties that will be affected by the continuous fallout in peace talks, an expert warned that Pakistan's economy will also be dealt with a major blow.
Former vice-chancellor of Punjab University, Zafar Moeen Nasir, said during an Islamabad Institute of Conflict Resolution webinar that a U.S. withdrawal without an amicable peace deal will create security and economic risks for Pakistan.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are huge trading partners. The countries also share a 1,510-mile border that are used as main trading routes. If talks break down ultimately and a bigger war ensues, Pakistan will suffer some of the consequences, Nasir said.
As part of the efforts to find a way forward, Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke by phone on Wednesday.
A statement by the Pakistani army said the two chiefs discussed "matters of mutual interest, the regional security situation including the latest developments in the Afghan peace process," as well as the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
It remains to be seen whether Austin and Bajwa's phone talks will materialize into more tangible results for revived discussions with the Taliban and the Afghan government.
No Clear Date for Postponed Peace Conference
Even with the rescheduling of the postponed peace conference, it appears that the involved parties have not agreed on anything.
While the Turkish government said talks will resume after Ramadan, which ends in mid-May, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said there won't be a meeting until there is more "meaningful progress" in negotiations.
Last year, it was agreed that U.S. forces will be pulled out by May 1, but Biden pushed back the withdrawal date.
