Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to resume talks: Report

Islamabad: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday agreed to ensure maintenance of a ceasefire on the border and resume talks to salvage the peace process that hit snags early this week, according to a report.

A second round of discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations had begun in Istanbul on Saturday, but failed after Pakistan accused the Taliban of showing reluctance to give assurances to stop cross-border attacks.

A joint statement released by Türkiye, the host of the latest round of talks, early on Friday stated “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided” during a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6, Dawn reported on Friday.

Though the statement didn’t specify who the “principals” would be, it is expected that it meant the defence ministers of the two countries, who led their sides in the first round in Doha, would now meet in Istanbul, the report added.

The joint statement further said that during this period, the two countries also agreed on a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to ensure the maintenance of peace and to impose a penalty on the side that breaches the ceasefire.

“All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party,” said the joint statement released by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement further said that as mediators, Türkiye and Qatar expressed their appreciation for the “active contribution of both parties” and the two countries will continue their cooperation with both sides for “lasting peace and stability”.

Türkiye and Qatar have deep ties with Pakistan, while Qatar also played a major role in the negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and NATO forces, the report said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, commenting on the development, said, “Just as the Islamic emirate seeks good relations with other neighbouring countries, it also desires positive ties with Pakistan and remains committed to relations based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs and not posing a threat to any side.”

The joint statement came shortly after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif — who had earlier issued a strongly worded warning to Kabul after the stalemate in talks — said that a “ray of light” was visible in the Istanbul negotiations.

“Different drafts are being exchanged for an eventual agreement. You can say that some ray of light is visible; there is very guarded optimism. Let’s hope that some shape emerges from this,“ he stated while speaking on a Geo News show.

“Qatar and Türkiye are very respected by us and are our well-wishers. Türkiye clearly openly supported us in the Pakistan-India conflict, so we respect them and their opinion,” the defence minister said.

The Istanbul negotiations centred on Pakistan’s core demand that Afghanistan take “clear, verifiable and irreversible action” against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups involved in cross-border attacks from Afghan territory, the report said.

Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, speaking earlier in Peshawar, reiterated Pakistan’s red lines, saying that while Islamabad desired peace with all its neighbours, it “will not allow cross-border terrorism to be perpetrated from Afghan soil against Pakistan.”

The Taliban delegation, while participating in the dialogue, however, maintained that it could not fully control TTP operatives. A senior Taliban official said the Afghan side had offered to detain and expel any TTP members found on Afghan territory, the report said.

“But Pakistan keeps insisting that we control TTP’s attacks inside Pakistan,” the official said. “These fighters are Pakistani nationals operating within Pakistan,” the report quoted the Afghan official as saying.

Pakistani negotiators also demanded that the Taliban formally declare the TTP a terrorist organisation and publicly denounce it as a fitna — an Islamic term for sedition or mischief, it said.

Diplomatic sources said direct interaction between the two delegations remained limited throughout the five days, with most communication handled through mediators.

“Even during meal breaks, the sides barely spoke,” the report quoted a source as saying.

Afghanistan continues to deny harbouring militants, accusing Pakistan instead of violating its sovereignty through airstrikes and, according to Afghan media, allowing US drones to operate from its airspace — a charge Islamabad denies, the report said.

Kabul insisted during the talks that any future agreement must include assurances against such operations, it added.

While the Istanbul agreement marks a breakthrough after days of tension, diplomats cautioned that deep mistrust persists. “This is a framework for peace, not yet peace itself,” a foreign diplomat said. “It will take sustained verification, discipline and trust to make it hold,” Dawn quoted the diplomat as saying.

Pakistan and Afghanistan saw a worsening of ties during recent weeks, which featured border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations, the report said.