Pakistan prays for a positive result from next Istanbul talks after ceasefire extended
Assalamu alaikum - Pakistan is hopeful for a positive outcome from the next round of talks with Afghanistan in Istanbul, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Friday, after both sides agreed to extend their ceasefire.
The neighbours had deadly clashes this month that killed soldiers, civilians and militants, before a temporary ceasefire was reached in Doha on Oct. 19. A second round of talks in Istanbul that began on Oct. 25 didn’t yield a breakthrough earlier this week, but Turkiye announced on Thursday evening that the ceasefire would continue.
The clashes followed Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting Pakistani Taliban militants that Islamabad says operate from Afghan soil and carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul condemned the strikes as a breach of its sovereignty and denies harbouring the group. The long, porous border of more than 2,600 km has often been a source of tension, with frequent skirmishes and mutual accusations over militant safe havens.
At a weekly briefing on Friday, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan has always wanted peace and a stable Afghanistan, while the Pakistani armed forces remain ready to take “all possible measures to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty and ensure safety and security of its people.” He expressed appreciation for Qatar and Turkiye’s mediation efforts.
“Pakistan would continue to remain engaged in the mediation process and hopes for a positive outcome for the 6th November talks [in Istanbul],” Andrabi said, thanking the mediators for trying to reach an amicable and peaceful solution.
Islamabad has long accused elements in Afghanistan of allowing militants - especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - to use its territory to plan attacks, a claim Kabul denies. The previous clashes began on Oct. 11 after Pakistan carried out strikes on what it described as TTP-linked targets in Afghanistan, which Kabul called a violation of its sovereignty.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the Oct. 25–30 talks agreed on putting in place a monitoring and verification mechanism to maintain peace and impose penalties on any violating party. A follow-up meeting is planned in Istanbul on Nov. 6 to decide how the mechanism will be implemented, and Turkiye and Qatar said they stand ready to keep cooperating with both sides for lasting peace and stability.
Kabul’s government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement late in Istanbul confirming the talks’ conclusion and saying both sides agreed to continue discussions in future meetings.
A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the Istanbul understanding a welcome but conditional truce that depends on verifiable action by Kabul. “This ceasefire is not open-ended or unconditional. The single litmus test for its continuation is that Afghanistan will not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan and will take clear, verifiable and effective steps against [militants],” the official said.
He added that if Afghanistan fails to show verifiable proof of agreed steps, or if militants keep launching attacks from Afghan soil, Pakistan will consider the ceasefire breached and reserves the right to protect its sovereignty and people.
May Allah grant wisdom to the leaders and guide all towards a peaceful, just resolution. Wa salaam.
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