ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday confirmed that Pakistan’s delegation had departed for Istanbul to participate in fresh talks with the Afghan Taliban aimed at easing ongoing tensions between the two neighbours.
The upcoming round follows a previous phase of discussions held on October 25 in Istanbul, which ended in a stalemate due to Islamabad’s persistent concern over terror attacks originating from Afghan soil.
The dialogue was revived after Turkiye and Qatar intervened to mediate, salvaging the process for the second time in less than a week. This came after Pakistan announced on October 29 that the talks had “failed” and that its negotiators were preparing to return home.
The earlier meetings led to a three-point understanding: maintaining the ceasefire, establishing a monitoring and verification mechanism to uphold peace, and imposing penalties for violations. The operational framework for this mechanism is expected to be finalised when senior representatives—referred to as the “principals”—meet again in Istanbul on November 6.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Asif said, “The delegation has departed today and the negotiations will begin tomorrow morning. Let’s hope Afghanistan acts with wisdom so that peace can return to the region.”
He emphasized that Pakistan’s sole agenda was to ensure that Afghanistan prevents attacks on Pakistani territory from its soil. When asked about the prospects of progress, Asif said talks were pursued only when there was a “possibility of a positive outcome,” otherwise, they would be futile.
Commenting separately on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, the defence minister said discussions were ongoing and that the draft would take its “final shape” by next week before being presented in Parliament.
Asif added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had every right to share his views on the amendment and noted that the government was consulting other political parties to gather their input. He, however, declined to comment on speculation about potential changes in the amendment.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent weeks, marked by border clashes and mutual accusations. Hostilities began on October 11, when militants launched an attack on Pakistan from across the border—shortly after the Taliban accused Islamabad of carrying out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, an allegation Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied.
Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that the Taliban prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to target Pakistan, a claim the Taliban leadership continues to reject. Pakistan, meanwhile, continues to face casualties in intelligence-based operations against terrorism.
Following the October 11 incident, several additional skirmishes occurred along the border. Pakistan also conducted strikes targeting camps belonging to the Gul Bahadur group inside Afghanistan.
Subsequent diplomatic efforts, facilitated by Turkiye and Qatar, brought both sides to the table in Doha, where they agreed to a temporary ceasefire and to resume talks in Istanbul to work toward a sustainable peace mechanism.
Both Turkiye and Qatar enjoy longstanding ties with Pakistan, while Doha played a significant role in earlier negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and NATO forces.
