Senior officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan have resumed high-stakes peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, this week, marking a critical effort to ease tensions after a spate of deadly border clashes last month. According to state-run media in both countries, the delegations met on Thursday, November 6, 2025, for the third round of negotiations aimed at restoring stability along their volatile shared border.
The backdrop to these talks is grim. In October, fierce fighting erupted between the two neighbors, leaving dozens dead—including soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants—and wounding hundreds more on both sides. The violence was triggered by a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Afghanistan’s Taliban government blamed squarely on Pakistan and threatened retaliation. The clashes escalated rapidly, only coming to a halt after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19. That fragile truce remains in effect, but the underlying causes of the conflict are far from resolved.
According to the Associated Press, the Istanbul talks are being held with mediators present, notably from Qatar and Turkey—two regional powers with deep interests in preventing further chaos. While official statements from Kabul and Islamabad have been sparse, Pakistani state media confirmed that the discussions would continue into Friday if progress was made on the first day. The agenda, as outlined by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, is singular and urgent: to ensure that Afghan territory is not used as a launchpad for attacks inside Pakistan.
In a statement to Afghanistan’s national broadcaster RTA, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid specified that the Afghan delegation is led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the director of general intelligence. On the Pakistani side, the delegation is headed by Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, who serves as the nation’s spy chief and national security adviser. Pakistan, consistent with its longstanding policy, has not publicly identified its representatives beyond this.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with mutual accusations fueling distrust. Pakistan has repeatedly charged the Taliban government with turning a blind eye to militants—particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—who cross the border to stage bombings and gun attacks. Kabul, for its part, firmly denies these allegations. "We do not allow anyone to use Afghan soil for attacks against any country, including Pakistan," Afghan officials have insisted in public statements. This back-and-forth has left ordinary citizens caught in the crossfire, with commerce and daily life along the border grinding to a halt.
Indeed, all major border crossings between the two countries were closed on October 12, following attacks on trade convoys from the Afghan side. While Pakistan has since partially reopened two crossings to allow Afghan refugees to return home, the broader border remains sealed to trade and civilian movement. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has made clear that any reopening for commerce or travel will depend on tangible improvements in security—a demand that underscores just how high the stakes are for both economies.
Complicating matters further is the sharp rise in militant violence inside Pakistan, most of it claimed by the TTP. The group, which the United Nations and the United States have long designated as a terrorist organization, is a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban but maintains close ties. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, many TTP leaders and fighters are believed to have found sanctuary across the border. This, according to Pakistani officials, has further strained already fraught relations and prompted Islamabad’s military to take matters into its own hands.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s armed forces targeted what they described as TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan, after a string of deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians. The military justified these cross-border operations by citing a loss of patience and a need to protect its citizens. "After a series of deadly attacks, our patience ran out," a senior Pakistani military official told local media. The move, however, has only added fuel to the diplomatic fire, with Kabul accusing Pakistan of violating its sovereignty.
The current round of negotiations in Istanbul is not the first attempt at dialogue. In 2022, Afghanistan’s then-new Taliban government brokered a brief ceasefire between the TTP and Pakistani authorities. That truce, however, was short-lived. The Pakistani Taliban unilaterally ended it, accusing Pakistan’s military of violating the terms. Since then, Islamabad has declared that it will not engage in further talks with the TTP and has demanded that Kabul either rein in the group or hand over its members to Pakistani authorities.
Regional dynamics add yet another layer of complexity. According to reporting from BBC and other outlets, militant groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are also attempting to resurface in the border region. This has heightened the urgency for both sides—and for mediators Qatar and Turkey—to find a sustainable path to peace. The risk of a broader conflict, with potential spillover effects for the entire region, is not lost on any of the parties involved.
Despite the ongoing ceasefire, the humanitarian impact of the border closures has been significant. Trade has ground to a halt, affecting livelihoods on both sides, while thousands of Afghan refugees have found themselves in limbo. Pakistan’s decision to partially reopen two crossings for returning refugees was described by officials as a “humanitarian gesture,” but normal cross-border movement remains a distant prospect until the security situation improves.
For many observers, the Istanbul talks represent a crucial—if fragile—opportunity. The presence of international mediators and the focus on a single, actionable agenda item could increase the chances of a breakthrough. Still, as history has shown, trust is in short supply, and the road to lasting peace is littered with setbacks.
As the delegations continue their discussions in Istanbul, hopes for a durable resolution remain cautious. The outcome of these talks could shape not only the future of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations but also the broader stability of a region long plagued by conflict and mistrust. For now, the world watches and waits, hoping that dialogue will prevail where violence has so often failed.
