ISLAMABAD: The talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban for the second round will be held in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday (today).
It is understood that during the negotiations, Pakistan will be urging the need to completely wipe out terror activities that originate from the Afghan side of the border. The sources who spoke to the media said that the main focus of the negotiations would be on coming to an agreement on how the ceasefire between the two sides would be put into practice.
Should a senior Afghan minister be part of the Taliban delegation, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif will accompany the delegation in Istanbul. After determining the composition of the Afghan delegation, the Pakistani side will decide who will lead their delegation, and the delegation will also include Pakistan’s National Security Advisor.
Pakistan is expected to deliver a firm and unequivocal message to the effect that it is absolutely out of the question for the area of Afghanistan to be utilized as a base for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
The two sides in their last round of talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar had decided to keep the ceasefire as a milestone for a lasting peace in the region.
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to continue ceasefire in Istanbul talks
After a series of talks in Istanbul, Pakistan and Afghanistan consented to the extension of the ceasefire which was their last talks’ outcome. The negotiating sessions held from October 25 to 30, 2025, were attended by Turkey and Qatar as mediators.
The meetings resumed the negotiation and supplementing of the ceasefire accord, which was first obtained in Doha on October 18-19, 2025. Both countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, have pledged to maintain the ceasefire and are planning its extension.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an official statement, announced that the two sides not only agreed to the continuation of the ceasefire but also the setting up of the joint monitoring group to oversee the implementation. The release cited that the next meeting in Istanbul on November 6, 2025, would be dedicated to ironing out the detailed and exact framework of the ceasefire including the terms and regulations.
The statement further elaborated that the joint monitoring system would be the watchdog for the fulfillment of the agreement and if any party was found to break the terms, it would impose sanctions upon them. The system is designed to keep each side in check while coiling away the potential for any new flare-ups.
As the mediators, Turkey and Qatar were very happy with the positive attitudes and behaviors of both parties and assured that they would remain engaged in peace and stability mission in the region. Besides, the joint statement emphasized that persistence in collaborative works between Afghanistan and Pakistan would not only help them to eliminate the roots of conflict but also enable them to erect durable peace.
Such an agreement is a turning point for the two neighboring countries in terms of their bilateral relations and it is a welcome sign of peace not only for them but also for the entire South Asia region.
