Pakistan, Afghanistan Resume Peace Talks in Türkiye After Deadly Border Clashes

Pakistani and Afghan officials are meeting in Türkiye this weekend for a second round of high-level negotiations aimed at defusing border tensions that have recently erupted into deadly clashes between the two neighbours.

The talks, set to take place in Istanbul on Saturday, come less than a week after Qatar and Türkiye brokered a fragile ceasefire following intense fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier that left dozens dead on both sides. While the truce has largely held, the border remains closed except for Afghan refugees crossing into their home country.

Islamabad and Kabul have been locked in a bitter security dispute for months, each blaming the other for cross-border violence. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harbouring and turning a blind eye to militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says is using Afghan territory to launch attacks. The Taliban authorities deny the allegations, insisting that Afghan soil is not being used for hostile acts against Pakistan.

“Pakistan looks forward to the establishment of a concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism in the next meeting to be hosted by Türkiye in Istanbul on 25th October 2025, to address the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi at a press briefing in Islamabad on Friday.

He stressed that Pakistan does not seek escalation but expects Kabul to take “verifiable action” against militant groups operating from within Afghanistan. “As a responsible state committed to regional peace and stability, Pakistan urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns,” he said.

Andrabi added that the message to Kabul was clear: stop the cross-border attacks, restrain armed groups, and bilateral relations could “get back on track.” He declined to name members of Pakistan’s delegation participating in the Istanbul talks.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Deputy Interior Minister Hajji Najib is leading the Afghan delegation. “The remaining issues will be discussed at this meeting,” Mujahid said, without elaborating further.

Pakistan has faced a surge in militant violence in its western provinces since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Islamabad has accused not only Kabul but also New Delhi of backing groups such as the TTP and Baloch separatists to destabilize Pakistan — charges both Afghanistan and India deny.

Andrabi noted that no major cross-border attacks had been reported in recent days, calling it a positive sign. “The Doha talks and their outcome were fruitful,” he said. “We would like the trend to continue in Istanbul and beyond.”

The outcome of the Istanbul meeting is expected to determine whether the fragile ceasefire holds and whether the two neighbours can establish a sustainable mechanism to prevent future border escalations.