Afghan-Pakistan negotiations fail in Istanbul, exposing deep divisions over security, militants.
Afghan and Pakistani delegations meet in Istanbul as Turkiye and Qatar mediate stalled peace talks over cross-border tensions (Photo: File)
NEW DELHI: The fragile thaw between Afghanistan and Pakistan has again collapsed, with the latest round of talks in Istanbul ending in deadlock despite mediation by Türkiye and Qatar.
According to diplomatic sources, the Afghan delegation for the 6 November 2025 meeting was led by Intelligence Chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, while Pakistan’s side was headed by ISI Director General Asim Malik. The session was meant to decide on the implementation of the ceasefire agreed in Doha (18-19 October) and reaffirmed in a joint statement issued after the first round of Istanbul talks (25-30 October).
That statement had projected optimism, confirming continuation of the ceasefire and plans for a monitoring and verification mechanism to penalise violations. However, the follow-up meeting quickly exposed the gulf separating Kabul and Islamabad.
Afghan negotiators, acting on directives from their leadership, entered the talks seeking realistic arrangements on cross-border security and militant activity. Pakistani representatives, however, reportedly raised demands viewed as beyond Afghanistan’s jurisdiction among them, assurances that no security incidents would occur inside Pakistan and a proposal to relocate Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) elements into Afghan territory. Afghan officials saw the suggestions as detached from Pakistan’s own internal security challenges.
One Kabul-based source called Islamabad’s stance “paradoxical,” pointing out that while Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring TTP militants, it also asked that they be moved onto Afghan soil. Afghan negotiators rejected any proposal that could “create a new headache” by importing another country’s security burden.
The earlier Istanbul talks in late October had also faltered. As reported by The Sunday Guardian last week, a last-minute phone call from Islamabad to the Pakistani delegation is believed to have derailed a tentative understanding that mediators from Türkiye and Qatar were close to formalising.
Following the latest breakdown, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid thanked the host countries but accused the Pakistani side of an “irresponsible and non-cooperative attitude”. He reiterated that Afghan soil would not be used against any country and reaffirmed Kabul’s resolve to defend its sovereignty as both a national and religious duty.
