Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to resume in Istanbul after a dramatic collapse earlier this week, according to senior officials and multiple media reports. The negotiations, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, come in the wake of the deadliest clashes between the two neighbors since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021—a period marked by escalating violence, mutual accusations, and a fragile ceasefire that has so far held but left border crossings closed and trade at a standstill.
The backdrop to these renewed talks is grim. Earlier in October 2025, explosions in Kabul triggered a spiral of violence along the 2,600-kilometer border. Afghan officials accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in the Afghan capital and bombing a market in the east of the country. Pakistan, for its part, said its operations were aimed at militant hideouts inside Afghanistan. The clashes left more than 70 people dead, including at least 50 Afghan civilians and 23 Pakistani soldiers, and wounded hundreds more, according to figures from the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Pakistan’s military, as reported by AFP and Associated Press.
Despite the violence, a ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 19 managed to halt further border clashes—at least temporarily. However, the major crossings remained closed, stranding hundreds of trucks and refugees on both sides, and biting into the earnings of traders already weary from years of conflict. Nazir Ahmed, a cloth trader in Kandahar, told AFP, “Our nation is tired and their nation is also tired.” Abdul Jabbar, a vehicle spare parts trader in Chaman, Pakistan, echoed the sentiment: “Trade suffers greatly. Both countries face losses—both are Islamic nations.”
The initial round of peace talks in Istanbul, which followed the ceasefire, ended inconclusively on October 28. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif told Geo News that the decision to give peace another chance was made at the request of Qatar and Turkey, with the Pakistani delegation asked to remain in Istanbul instead of returning home. According to Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV, Islamabad agreed to resume the talks based on its central demand: that Afghanistan take clear, verifiable, and effective action against militant groups using Afghan soil to launch attacks on Pakistan.
Islamabad’s core concern centers on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group closely allied with the Afghan Taliban and designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and the United States. Pakistan accuses the Taliban government in Kabul of harboring the TTP and allowing its fighters to use Afghan territory as a safe haven. Afghan officials, however, have consistently denied these allegations, claiming they have no control over the group.
As reported by Reuters, a source close to the Afghan Taliban delegation said, “Most of the issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been resolved successfully and peacefully. A few demands from Pakistan need some extra time as they are difficult to be agreed upon.” The source, like others involved in the negotiations, spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani addressed the situation directly in a video posted online, urging Pakistan to address its own internal security problems rather than create tensions with Afghanistan. He warned, “Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures.” Haqqani added that Afghanistan sought peaceful engagement with all countries but would defend itself if attacked, emphasizing, “The Taliban had demonstrated strength both in conflict and in dialogue. Afghanistan wants relations based on mutual respect.”
The border violence earlier this month was the worst seen since the Taliban’s return to power. The October clashes began after Pakistani airstrikes targeted the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul and other locations. In retaliation, the Afghan Taliban struck Pakistani military posts along the border, which remains closed to this day. The United Nations reported that in just one week, at least 50 Afghan civilians were killed and 447 wounded. Pakistan’s military said on October 12 that 23 of its personnel had died and 29 were wounded, but did not detail civilian casualties on its side.
On the ground, military operations continued even as talks faltered. Pakistan’s military announced on October 30 that it had killed 18 militants in Balochistan and four Pakistani Taliban, including a high-value target, near the Afghan border. Among those killed was Mufti Muzahim, previously TTP’s deputy chief. In a separate operation, Pakistan also killed Qari Amjad, another deputy leader of the Pakistani Taliban and a US-designated terrorist, as he attempted to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan. The militant group confirmed Qari Amjad’s death, marking a significant blow to the TTP’s leadership.
Despite these tactical victories, the strategic situation remains tense. Both governments have refrained from official public comment on the latest round of talks, and Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to confirm the resumption. Nevertheless, state broadcasters in both countries reported that the “stalled negotiations... are set to resume in Istanbul under the mediation of Turkey and Qatar,” as noted by Afghan state-run RTA.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, struck a cautious but firm tone in a recent address to tribal elders in Peshawar. “Pakistan seeks peace with all its neighbors, including Afghanistan, but will not tolerate cross-border terrorism from Afghan soil,” Munir stated, according to Associated Press. He emphasized that Pakistan had exercised restraint in recent years, making diplomatic and economic overtures to improve ties, but accused the Taliban government of instead supporting the TTP.
The stakes are high for both nations. Relations between the one-time allies have deteriorated sharply, and the closed border has inflicted economic pain on both sides. As traders and civilians bear the brunt of the standoff, pressure is mounting on leaders in Islamabad and Kabul to find a durable solution. Yet, as the talks resume, much remains uncertain. Some Pakistani demands, described as “difficult to be agreed upon” by sources close to the negotiations, continue to pose obstacles.
For now, the ceasefire holds, and the world watches closely as Istanbul becomes the stage for another attempt at peace. Whether these talks can break the cycle of violence and mistrust is a question that remains unanswered, but for many on both sides of the border, the hope for stability and normalcy has never felt more urgent.
