Pakistan, Afghanistan to resume Talks in Istanbul

ISLAMABAD, 30 Oct 2025: Pakistan has agreed to resume negotiations with Afghan Taliban in Istanbul at the request of hosts.

According to Pakistani official media quoting sources, the Pakistani delegation, this was about to depart, but will now stay in Istanbul for further discussions.

The sources said the decision has been made to give peace another chance by continuing the negotiation process.

They said talks will focus on Pakistan's main demand that Afghanistan takes clear, verifiable and effective action against terrorists.

Sources said Pakistan has once again emphasized that Afghan soil should not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.

The talks come in the wake of the deadliest clashes between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

More than 70 people were killed and hundreds wounded in violence that erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which the Taliban authorities blamed on Pakistan.

The two sides had held days of talks in Istanbul, until Islamabad said Wednesday that the negotiations had collapsed.

"On the request of the Afghan Taliban regime, another round of talks between Pakistan and Kabul is likely to take place in Istanbul," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the subject publicly.

Afghan state-run broadcaster RTA also reported Thursday that the "stalled negotiations... are set to resume in Istanbul under the mediation of Turkey and Qatar".

RTA laid the blame for the talks' collapse on "unreasonable demands of the Pakistani side".

Afghan officials have not commented publicly about the state of the negotiations.

Relations between the one-time allies, who share a 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier, have deteriorated in recent years.

Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militant groups that stage cross-border attacks, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it says uses Afghan territory as a base.

The tensions have led to the closure of all border crossing for nearly two weeks.

But there have been many instances in the past when the border was closed for longer durations.

• Nov 2011: The border was effectively closed for several months for NATO supplies on November 26, 2011 after the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers by US-led NATO forces at the Salala check-post.
• May 2017: Pakistan closed the Torkham and Chaman border crossings after a suicide blast in Sehwan, Sindh. The border was closed for 22 days and then reopened on May 27, 2017, after a request from Afghan authorities.
• In 2024: Intense clashes occurred near the border, notably in September, involving Taliban forces and Pakistani border troops. The fighting led to injuries and deaths on both sides, including Pakistani soldiers and Taliban members. These clashes caused temporary closures or disruptions at key border crossings like Torkham.
• August 2024: The Torkham border was closed for three days following skirmishes and then reopened.
• In 2025, the border remained tense with intermittent fighting reported, especially around the Chaman and Torkham crossings. Major border closures occurred again in October 2025 after deadly clashes between Pakistani military and Afghan forces, leaving hundreds stranded and significantly disrupting trade and travel.