Pakistan agrees to resume Taliban talks at Turkiye’s request

News Desk

Islamabad: Pakistan has agreed to resume talks with the Afghan Taliban regime in Istanbul at the request of mediator Turkiye, following earlier rounds between Islamabad and Kabul that failed to produce a workable solution, official sources confirmed on Thursday.

The decision comes amid escalating tensions and a surge in terrorist incidents in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. 

Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Taliban administration to take decisive action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil and targeting Pakistan, but Kabul has largely remained indifferent to these concerns.

According to sources, the upcoming round of dialogue will focus on addressing Pakistan’s security concerns, including cross-border terrorism, and on restoring stability along the Pak-Afghan border.

23 soldiers martyred as Pakistan repels Taliban attack

Earlier this month, border clashes erupted after the Taliban forces resorted to unprovoked firing along the frontier on October 12. The Pakistan Armed Forces retaliated forcefully, killing over 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants. However, 23 Pakistani soldiers were also martyred during the confrontation.

In response, Pakistan conducted multiple retaliatory strikes inside Afghanistan, including near Kabul, targeting terrorist hideouts. Hostilities between the two sides subsided after Islamabad accepted the Taliban regime’s request for a temporary ceasefire on October 17.

Mediation efforts were subsequently initiated, first by Qatar and later by Turkiye. The Doha talks resulted in a short-term ceasefire agreement, while a second round held in Istanbul from October 25 lasted four days but ended inconclusively. Pakistani authorities described the Taliban delegation’s stance during those discussions as “illogical” and “detached from ground realities.”

Despite the deadlock, Ankara has urged both sides to return to the negotiating table to avert further escalation and seek a diplomatic path forward. Pakistan has agreed to Turkiye’s proposal for another round of dialogue in Istanbul, though the date has not yet been officially announced.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s security forces continue their counterterrorism operations under the ongoing “Azm-e-Istehkam” campaign aimed at eliminating foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.

On Thursday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that at least 18 India-backed terrorists belonging to the group Fitna al-Hindustan were killed in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan.

According to ISPR, an IBO in the Chiltan Mountains area of Quetta district led to an intense exchange of fire, resulting in the elimination of 14 India-sponsored terrorists. In a separate operation in Buleda, Kech district, four more terrorists were neutralised.

Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the slain militants, who were said to be involved in several terrorist attacks across the province. Sanitisation operations are ongoing in the area to eliminate any remaining threats.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the security forces’ efforts, paying tribute to their sacrifices and reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision to eradicate all forms of foreign-sponsored terrorism.

Officials said the continuation of counterterrorism operations alongside diplomatic engagement with the Taliban regime reflects Pakistan’s two-pronged approach — ensuring internal security while pursuing regional stability through dialogue.