The third round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan began in Istanbul on Thursday, with discussions continuing into Friday as both sides sought to preserve a fragile ceasefire along their shared border.
The negotiations, held at Istanbul’s Conrad Hotel, follow five days of tense dialogue that took place from October 25th to 30th. Leading the Afghan delegation is Abdul Haq Wasiq, head of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), accompanied by Deputy Minister of Interior Rehmatullah Najib and other senior political and security officials. Representing Pakistan are Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
While the current round was initially scheduled to last two days, both sides indicated that discussions could be extended if necessary. The main sticking points remain unchanged: Afghanistan is demanding an immediate halt to Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory, while Pakistan insists that Kabul curb the activities of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, which Islamabad accuses of using Afghan soil to launch cross-border attacks.
On Friday, Afghan media reported that Pakistan’s delegation demanded that Afghanistan relocate all TTP fighters currently inside Pakistan into Afghan territory under a de facto exile arrangement. Kabul reportedly rejected the proposal, pointing to the irony that Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harboring the same group while simultaneously carrying out airstrikes over those allegations—charges Kabul continues to deny.
Tensions flared during previous talks, with Pakistan’s delegation briefly walking out in protest. Despite this, both governments appear intent on maintaining dialogue, aware that renewed border clashes could destabilize the region. During the last round, Minister Asif warned that failure to reach an agreement could result in “open war,” underscoring how fragile the ceasefire remains as the Istanbul talks proceed.