Afghan and Pakistani Delegations Hold Confidential Talks in Riyadh

Delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan met behind closed doors in Riyadh on Monday, as Saudi Arabia became the latest country to attempt mediation following a rapid deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad over the past two months.

Afghan and Pakistani media reported that senior Taliban figure Anas Haqqani led the Afghan delegation, accompanied by Deputy Interior Minister Rahmatullah Najib. Discussions reportedly focused on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, as well as ongoing trade disruptions. There has been no confirmed reporting on who headed the Pakistani side, though the seniority of Haqqani suggests Islamabad sent a delegation of comparable rank.

Neither country has issued an official statement, and local media have described the discussions as confidential. The Riyadh meeting marks the fourth round of talks since early October, when Pakistani airstrikes near Kabul triggered a sharp escalation.

A fragile ceasefire was brokered in Doha on October 19, followed by two rounds of talks in Istanbul through early November, both of which failed to produce a durable agreement. The core dispute remains Pakistan’s accusation that TTP militants are being sheltered on Afghan soil. Islamabad has demanded that Kabul either expel the group or push its fighters away from the border. Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied providing safe haven, leaving the issue effectively frozen.

At Istanbul talks last month, Kabul claimed that Islamabad had offered for all TTP militants, including its leadership to be sent into exile in Afghanistan, something Kabul rejected.

Border closures have further strained relations. The main crossings at Torkham and Chaman remain largely shut, open only for the passage of deported Afghan refugees. As a result, cross-border trade has collapsed by more than 85 percent in the past month. Some officials in Kabul view the economic rupture as an opportunity to reduce Afghanistan’s long-standing dependence on trade with Pakistan.