Pakistan, Afghan enter crucial third-round talks in Istanbul to lock in ceasefire mechanism

• Focus on stopping cross-border terror once and for all as Türkiye, Qatar pushing to rescue fragile peace roadmap
• Islamabad demands verifiable guarantees from Kabul with a monitoring, verification system on the table
• DG ISI leads Pakistan’s high-stakes security delegation with Taliban team includes top GDI, Interior and Haqqani reps

ISLAMABAD/ISTANBUL: Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban on Wednesday entered a crucial third round of talks in Istanbul, renewing efforts to end cross-border terrorism and give permanence to a fragile ceasefire that has held since last month’s deadly border clashes.

The latest engagement—jointly mediated by Türkiye and Qatar—is aimed at finalizing an agreed mechanism for ceasefire implementation, monitoring, and verification.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides have agreed to establish a system to track and act against violations, with a formal mechanism expected to be settled during the ongoing round.

Before departing for Istanbul, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated Pakistan’s uncompromising position: “Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism. We only engage in dialogue when there is a possibility of progress — otherwise it’s a waste of time.” He stressed that attacks on Pakistan from Afghan territory “must stop”, expressing hope that the Taliban would act responsibly for regional peace.

Sources confirmed that both sides are expected to settle the modalities for implementing the ceasefire, which was reached on October 15 following a series of border skirmishes between October 11 and 15.

This is the third engagement since the clashes. Earlier talks were held in Doha, followed by a second round in Istanbul, but a final agreement has remained elusive. Delegations from both sides arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday for two days of negotiations under the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar.

Pakistan’s delegation is being led by Lt Gen Asim Malik, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and includes senior officials from the military, intelligence agencies and Foreign Office. The Afghan Taliban’s team comprises GDI chief Abdul Haq Waseq, Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, Qahar Balkhi, Zakir Jalali and Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires in Ankara.

Focus of the talks

A joint statement issued by the Turkish foreign ministry after the previous round confirmed that all sides had agreed to maintain the ceasefire and put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that would ensure compliance and impose penalties for violations. The statement said principal-level talks were scheduled for November 6 to finalise implementation.

A diplomat from one of the mediating countries earlier told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the two sides would review progress made during the previous round and attempt to settle the modalities of the monitoring mechanism agreed in principle last week.

Officials in both Islamabad and Kabul, however, have kept expectations modest. Pakistani military and intelligence officials have reiterated that Islamabad’s stance remains unchanged: Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan. “The Pakistan military and intelligence service have a single-point agenda — the end of terrorism,” military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said earlier this week.

Another security official said Islamabad seeks “concrete, verifiable guarantees” on counterterror commitments.

Talks follow weeks of shuttle diplomacy after the October 11 attack launched from Afghan territory triggered the worst deterioration in ties since the Taliban takeover in 2021. The attack came after the Taliban accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes inside Afghanistan — an allegation Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.

Pakistan has repeatedly demanded that the Taliban prevent terror groups from using Afghan territory. The Taliban leadership rejects allegations of harbouring anti-Pakistan militants.

Pakistan, meanwhile, continues to face a surge in terror attacks, with multiple casualties reported among security forces during intelligence-based operations.

After the initial October 11 skirmish, several more clashes erupted along the border. Pakistan also targeted Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan. A ceasefire was reached on the evening of October 15, leading to the first round of formal talks in Doha. The temporary ceasefire held while both sides agreed to reconvene in Istanbul to work on a long-term mechanism for peace and border stability.

The second round began in Istanbul on October 25 but stalled. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on X on October 29 that the talks “failed to bring about any workable solution,” stressing that Pakistan would continue taking all measures to protect its citizens from terrorism. He stated that Taliban authorities had been repeatedly reminded of their commitments under the Doha Agreement but that Pakistan’s efforts had “proved futile” due to their “unabated support to anti-Pakistan terrorists”.

Türkiye and Qatar then stepped in to salvage the process. A joint statement issued by Türkiye on October 31 confirmed that the two sides would meet again on November 6 to discuss “further modalities of implementation.”

Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have steadily worsened since 2021, with Pakistan witnessing a sharp rise in cross-border attacks. After the October 11 assault, a ceasefire was negotiated in Doha on October 19. Following renewed mediation by Türkiye and Qatar, both sides agreed to resume talks.

During the second round, the Afghan delegation repeatedly sought instructions from Kabul and Kandahar. After talks collapsed, Pakistan’s delegation initially departed for home but returned from Istanbul Airport at Türkiye’s request to give negotiations another chance.

Türkiye’s foreign ministry later confirmed that both sides agreed to maintain the ceasefire, establish a monitoring and verification mechanism, and impose penalties on violators—commitments now at the center of the ongoing principal-level talks in Istanbul.