Pakistan Afghan Taliban hold third round of talks in Istanbul

ISTANBUL: Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban on Thursday resumed peace talks in Istanbul, marking the third round of negotiations after previous discussions failed to secure a lasting truce.

The talks are being held under the joint mediation of Turkiye and Qatar. According to sources, the Pakistani delegation comprises senior military officials and representatives from the civil bureaucracy.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated last month when the Afghan Taliban launched unprovoked attacks on Pakistani positions along the border during the night of October 11–12, 2025.

Both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but a second round of talks in Istanbul last week ended without progress toward a long-term peace deal.

The deadlock stemmed from the Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to act against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating inside Afghanistan.

“We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region,” Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday.

He said Islamabad is pursuing a “one-point agenda” of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban’s knowledge.

According to two government sources cited by Reuters, Lt Gen Asim Malik, Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is leading the Pakistani delegation.

The Afghan delegation is being led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the Taliban’s intelligence chief, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told state broadcaster RTA.