Pakistan and Afghanistan Peace Negotiations Resume in Istanbul: Mediation Efforts to Address Border Tensions and Security Concerns

Both countries have maintained major crossing closures, resulting in hundreds of stranded trucks carrying goods and refugees.

Ankara:

Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to resume peace negotiations in Istanbul, aiming to revitalize dialogue that broke down earlier this week, according to Pakistan's defence minister and state media reports from both nations on Thursday.

The renewed talks, facilitated by Turkey and other friendly nations, seek to alleviate border tensions following recent armed exchanges that resulted in casualties among soldiers, civilians, and militants on both sides.

Despite the previous round's collapse, a ceasefire has generally been maintained with no new border incidents reported this week. However, major border crossings remain closed, creating significant logistical challenges.

Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif informed Geo news channel that Pakistan decided to pursue peace again at the request of Qatar and Turkey, with the Pakistani delegation originally scheduled to return home being asked to remain in Istanbul.

Pakistani state television reported that Islamabad's participation in the talks would be contingent on Afghanistan taking clear, verifiable, and effective action against terrorist organizations.

Afghanistan's state broadcaster RTA confirmed that the stalled negotiations were expected to resume in Istanbul under Turkish and Qatari mediation.

Senior Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, reiterated Pakistan's position that Afghan territory should not be used for what they termed "terrorism" against Pakistan. They expressed appreciation for the mediators' constructive role and affirmed Pakistan's commitment to seeking a peaceful resolution in good faith.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry has not officially confirmed the talks' resumption. Government spokespersons in both Islamabad and Kabul have not responded to information requests regarding these developments.

This follows Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar's announcement that four days of bilateral talks had concluded without agreement, after which Defence Minister Asif warned of a "stern response" if Afghanistan-based terrorists conducted further attacks inside Pakistan.

Tensions escalated earlier this month when explosions were heard in Kabul, with Afghanistan's Taliban government accusing Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in the capital and bombing a market in eastern Afghanistan.

Afghan officials claimed on October 12 that they had retaliated by targeting Pakistani military installations, resulting in 58 Pakistani military casualties. Pakistan's military acknowledged 23 soldier fatalities while maintaining their operations targeted terrorist hideouts within Afghanistan.

The hostilities led Qatar to facilitate emergency talks between the neighbors, resulting in a ceasefire on October 19. This was followed by four days of negotiations in Istanbul that ended without resolution on Tuesday. Since then, Qatar and Turkey have been working diligently to bring the delegations back to negotiations.

Pakistan has experienced an increase in militant attacks in recent months, primarily claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan), an organization closely affiliated with Afghanistan's Taliban. Many of their leaders and fighters are believed to have sought refuge in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

The Pakistani military reported Thursday that it had eliminated 18 terrorists in two separate operations in Balochistan province. Additionally, four Pakistani Taliban members, including a high-value target described as a senior commander, were killed while attempting to enter Bajaur, a city on the Afghan border.

Pakistan's military has called on Kabul to implement concrete measures ensuring Afghan territory is not used by terrorists to "perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan."