Istanbul talks: Mediators discussing Pakistan’s demands for ending cross-border terrorism with Afghan Taliban – World

Turkish and Qatari mediators are continuing discussions with the Afghan Taliban delegation on Pakistan’s set of demands — particularly to end cross-border terrorism — as efforts continue to secure an agreement before the scheduled conclusion of the ongoing talks, officials and diplomatic sources said on Friday.

The two-day negotiations, which began yesterday and are being held at Istanbul’s Conrad Hotel under restricted media access, are the third round of Pakistan–Afghan Taliban engagement following border clashes last month. They are aimed at ending cross-border terrorism and finalising a framework for monitoring and verification of counterterrorism commitments. Intelligence chiefs of both countries are leading their respective sides.

Officials privy to the matter said the talks could be extended beyond today if required.

FO briefing

Foreign Office spokesperson in Islamabad Tahir Hussain Andrabi told reporters at the weekly media briefing today that the Pakistani delegation had presented its case to the mediators in a comprehensive and evidence-based manner.

“The Pakistan delegation has handed over its evidence-based, justified, and logical demands to the mediators with a singular aim to put an end to cross-border terrorism,” Andrabi said. “The mediators fully endorsed Pakistan’s stance on the basis of evidence provided by our side, as well as the tenets of international law and principles.”

“They are now discussing Pakistan’s demands with the Afghan delegation point by point,” he added.

‘Progress encouraging’

Separately, sources privy to the matter described the progress on the negotiations so far as “encouraging,” noting that “an understanding may be achieved on some outstanding points.”

However, they cautioned that agreement on verifiable enforcement against terrorist groups remained elusive.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, Pakistan has pressed the Afghan Taliban to disassociate from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and take concrete action against anti-Pakistan elements operating from Afghan territory.

Islamabad has sought a clear decree from Kabul, explicitly committing to distancing itself from the TTP, the sources said.

Since the talks resumed on Thursday morning, the mediators have been primarily engaged with the Afghan side to reach an agreement. “Interlocutors are working with mediators to achieve a balanced understanding,” an Afghan source noted.

Potential areas of convergence reportedly may include counterterrorism cooperation and border security protocols, but persistent mistrust and Kabul’s ambiguous stance on the TTP continue to pose challenges to a lasting deal.

Border clashes and talks

Talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban follow weeks of shuttle diplomacy after deadly border clashes last month plunged relations between the two neighbours to their lowest point since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

The hostilities began when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of October 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan — an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.

For its part, Islamabad has long demanded that Taliban stop terror groups from using its soil against Pakistan. Taliban, however, deny the allegation of allowing terrorists to operate from Afghan soil.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to grapple with the issue of terrorism and has suffered multiple casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations.

After the initial skirmish on October 11, multiple others took place along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Meanwhile, strikes by Islamabad also targeted Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan.

A ceasefire was then agreed upon on October 15 in the evening, and eventually, the two sides came together for dialogue in Doha.

Since the skirmishes between October 11 and 15, Pakistan and Afghan Taliban representatives have held two rounds of talks — first in Doha and then in Istanbul — but a final agreement has not yet been achieved.

After the Doha talks, a temporary ceasefire continued to prevent border hostilities while the two sides committed to reconvene in Istanbul to work on mechanisms for lasting peace and stability between the two countries.

On October 25, the second round of talks between the two sides began in the Turkish capital. But, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced in a post on X on October 29 that the talks “failed to bring about any workable solution”. He also asserted that Pakistan would continue to take all possible measures to protect its citizens from terrorism.

However, mediators Turkiye and Qatar intervened and managed to salvage the dialogue process, with an October 31 joint statement released by Turkiye stating that “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided” during a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6.

For the third round, under the joint mediation of Turkiye and Qatar, delegations from both sides arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The talks began yesterday, surviving a brief exchange of fire along the border that tested the shaky ceasefire.

Two people, including a woman, were killed on the Pakistani side in a cross-border exchange of fire at the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing.