Istanbul, November 6,2025: Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime are scheduled to hold another round of talks in Istanbul today (Thursday) in a renewed bid to ease mounting tensions following last month’s deadly border clashes.
The latest meeting comes after an earlier five-day round of negotiations in Istanbul that ended with a last-minute interim ceasefire agreement.
According to diplomatic sources, the second round of talks initially began on October 25 in Istanbul, Turkiye, but collapsed after Pakistan reportedly rejected what officials described as the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments and refusal to address Islamabad’s concerns over cross-border terrorism.
However, mediators later persuaded both sides to give dialogue another chance, which led to the temporary ceasefire agreement.
In a joint statement issued by the Turkish foreign ministry at the conclusion of the previous round, all parties had agreed to maintain the ceasefire and establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace and penalize any violations.
“All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalties on the violating party,” the communiqué stated.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament a day earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that a Pakistani delegation had departed to resume negotiations with the Taliban regime.
“Afghanistan should act wisely for peace in the region… If there is no possibility of progress, then it is just a waste of time,” the minister said.
Earlier this week, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in an informal briefing to journalists, cautioned that any external aggression against Pakistan would be met with a “firm and severe” response.
He revealed that Pakistani forces had killed numerous cross-border terrorists — many identified as Afghan nationals — and highlighted how extensive opium cultivation in Afghanistan was being used to fund militancy.
The DG ISPR also accused elements within Afghanistan of providing safe havens to militants from Balochistan and relocating fighters into civilian areas to use them as human shields.
Senior journalist Hamid Mir, who attended the briefing, said that Chaudhry presented evidence showing involvement of Afghan Taliban soldiers in terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban regime have been escalating since 2021, as Islamabad continues to face a surge in terrorist attacks — particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged Kabul to take action against militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks, but the Taliban regime has largely remained indifferent, allegedly providing sanctuary to several banned outfits.
Instead of addressing Pakistan’s concerns, Taliban forces allegedly initiated unprovoked firing along the border on October 12. Pakistani forces retaliated, killing over 200 Taliban fighters and allied militants, though 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred in the clashes.
Subsequently, Pakistan conducted targeted strikes inside Afghanistan — including in Kabul — destroying multiple terrorist hideouts.
Hostilities eventually subsided after Pakistan accepted the Taliban regime’s request for a temporary ceasefire on October 17.
Delegations from both sides then met in Doha under Qatari mediation, where they agreed to uphold the ceasefire. The second round of talks, hosted by Turkiye in Istanbul, began on October 25 and continued until October 31.
Today’s meeting will determine whether both sides can move beyond temporary truces toward a lasting framework for border security and counterterrorism cooperation.
