On November 6, 2025, the already tense border between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted once again, as projectiles were fired from Pakistan into Afghan territory. The incident, reported by AFP and corroborated by local witnesses, occurred just as officials from both sides gathered in Istanbul to resume delicate peace negotiations. For many observers, the timing could not have been worse: the talks in Turkey were intended to reinforce a fragile ceasefire brokered only weeks earlier, after deadly clashes in October had left dozens dead and hundreds wounded.
According to Afghan military sources quoted by AFP, "Pakistan used light and heavy weapons and targeted civilian areas." Witnesses described the shelling as lasting between 10 and 15 minutes, creating panic in border communities already weary from months of violence. Despite the provocation, Afghan officials stated that they had not retaliated, citing "respect for the ongoing negotiations" in Istanbul.
Pakistan, however, fiercely denied the accusations. In a statement posted on X and reported by AFP, Pakistan's information ministry asserted, "We strongly reject claims circulated by the Afghan side regarding today's incident at the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman. Firing was initiated from the Afghan side, to which our security forces responded immediately in a measured and responsible manner." The dueling narratives highlight just how deep distrust runs between the two neighbors, even as they sit at the bargaining table.
The Istanbul talks themselves are the third round of negotiations since violence flared in October. According to AP and Pakistani media, these discussions are being facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, with the goal of ensuring that Afghan territory is not used as a launching pad for attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistan’s delegation is led by Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, the country’s spy chief and national security adviser, while the Afghan side is headed by Abdul Haq Wasiq, director of general intelligence. The presence of such high-level officials underscores the gravity of the situation—and the stakes involved for both nations.
To understand how things reached this boiling point, one has to look back to the events of October 2025. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul, already strained since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, deteriorated sharply after a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9. The Taliban government blamed Pakistan for the blasts and vowed retaliation. Just two days later, militants launched a cross-border attack from Afghanistan into Pakistan, igniting a series of clashes from October 11 to 15 that killed soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants on both sides, and left hundreds more wounded.
Following these deadly confrontations, Qatar stepped in to broker a ceasefire on October 19. Yet, as Dawn and AFP report, the truce has proven fragile. A joint statement from the Turkish foreign ministry, released after the latest round of talks, confirmed that “all parties have agreed on continuation of ceasefire” and to “put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose a penalty on the violating party.” But as Thursday’s shelling shows, the ceasefire is under constant threat from both sides’ suspicions and the ever-present risk of escalation.
Underlying the border violence is a complex web of accusations and denials. Islamabad has consistently urged the Taliban to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks on Pakistan—a charge the Taliban firmly reject. Kabul, for its part, insists that it does not allow Afghan territory to be used for attacks on any country, including Pakistan. Yet, as AFP and TOLO News have reported, Pakistan has also acknowledged the existence of an agreement with the United States permitting the use of drones within its territory, a move that has further complicated the regional security picture and raised eyebrows in Kabul.
Amid the diplomatic maneuvering, the human cost has continued to mount. The October clashes alone killed dozens and injured hundreds, including civilians who found themselves caught in the crossfire. Even after the ceasefire, the impact on daily life has been profound. Major border crossings remain closed to both trade and civilian movement, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Some crossings have partially reopened to allow Afghan refugees to return home, but trade remains suspended pending security improvements. For border communities that rely on cross-border commerce for their livelihoods, the closures have been devastating.
The Istanbul talks, then, carry enormous weight. According to AP and Pakistani state media, the focus is on establishing mechanisms to monitor and verify compliance with the ceasefire, and to agree on penalties for violations. The Turkish foreign ministry’s joint statement emphasized the need for a robust monitoring and verification system—an acknowledgment that, without strict oversight, the ceasefire risks unraveling at the slightest provocation.
Yet, for all the diplomatic choreography, progress has been slow. The two sides have yet to reach a final agreement, and the border remains a powder keg. Shuttle diplomacy, conducted over weeks and involving intermediaries from Qatar and Turkey, has so far managed only to halt the most intense violence, not to resolve the underlying disputes. Each side continues to blame the other for the breakdowns, with Pakistan insisting that Afghanistan must do more to curb cross-border militant activity, and the Taliban denying any responsibility for attacks inside Pakistan.
As the negotiations continue, ordinary Afghans and Pakistanis living along the border are left to wonder when, or if, a lasting peace will ever be achieved. For now, the ceasefire holds in name only, as Thursday’s shelling starkly illustrated. The border remains not just a line on a map, but a flashpoint where regional rivalries, historical grievances, and the ambitions of armed groups all collide.
What happens next will depend largely on the willingness of both governments to compromise and the effectiveness of the new monitoring and verification mechanisms. With high-level delegations still talking in Istanbul and international mediators watching closely, there is hope—but also a deep sense of exhaustion and wariness on both sides. As one Afghan military source put it to AFP, the decision not to retaliate was made "out of respect for the ongoing negotiations." Whether that restraint will hold, or whether the cycle of accusation and reprisal will spiral once more, remains to be seen.
For now, the world watches as Pakistan and Afghanistan try, once again, to pull back from the brink and find a path to peace along one of the world’s most volatile borders.
