2nd Round of Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks Begins in Istanbul

News Desk 

Islamabad: The second round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan began in Istanbul on Saturday, as Islamabad seeks to establish a mechanism to curb terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, official sources confirmed.

According to sources familiar with the development, Pakistan is represented by a two-member delegation comprising senior security officials, while the Afghan side is being led by Deputy Interior Minister Rahmatullah Mujib.

During his weekly press briefing on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said that Pakistan hopes the Istanbul discussions will result in the creation of a concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism to address cross-border terrorism.

“As a responsible state committed to regional peace and stability, Pakistan does not seek escalation but urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the FAK/TTP and FAH/BLA,” Andrabi stated.

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The spokesperson described the first round of talks — held earlier in Doha — as a positive step toward ensuring regional stability. He said the initial discussions focused on immediate measures to halt cross-border terrorist attacks against Pakistan and to restore peace along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Responding to a question, Andrabi noted that there had been no major terrorist attacks originating from Afghan territory in the past few days, calling it a “fruitful outcome” of the earlier round.

He also confirmed that border crossings between the two countries would remain temporarily closed due to security concerns, emphasizing that protecting Pakistani citizens’ lives was the government’s top priority.

The border has remained sealed since October 11, following deadly clashes that killed dozens on both sides — the worst fighting since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. The clashes erupted after Islamabad demanded that Kabul rein in militants launching attacks on Pakistan from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

A ceasefire agreement, brokered last weekend during talks hosted by Qatar and Türkiye, is reportedly holding, though cross-border trade remains suspended as both sides continue efforts to defuse tensions and restore normalcy.