Pakistan Delegation Heads to Istanbul for Fresh Talks With Afghan Taliban

Pakistan Delegation Heads to Istanbul for Fresh Talks With Afghan Taliban

A Pakistani delegation has left for Istanbul to hold a fresh round of talks with the Afghan Taliban, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said, in the latest effort to stop cross-border attacks and steady a relationship that has sharply worsened in recent weeks.

The two sides first met in Doha, where they agreed a temporary ceasefire and promised to reconvene in Istanbul to finalise mechanisms for a longer-term peace. Tensions flared after an attack launched from Afghan territory on the night of October 11, following Taliban allegations of Pakistani airstrikes — an accusation Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied. Pakistan says militant groups continue to operate from Afghan soil, a charge the Taliban deny, while Pakistani security forces have suffered casualties in ongoing counterterrorism operations.

Asif struck a cautious note about the talks, saying they are only worth engaging in if there is a real possibility of progress. Turkiye and Qatar, both close partners of Pakistan, are facilitating the process, with Qatar having earlier played a major role in negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and NATO forces. Separately, Asif declined to share details of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, saying the draft would take its final shape by next week before being tabled in Parliament.

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