Istanbul facilitates third round of Pakistan–Afghan Taliban ceasefire talks

Istanbul is set to host a third round of talks aimed at stabilizing the fragile ceasefire between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, with vital mediation by Qatar and Turkiye. 

The two-day session will begin on Thursday with delegations from both countries arriving in Istanbul under the joint intervention of Qatar and Turkey. 

The former meeting ended with a joint statement stating that all parties “have agreed on the continuation of ceasefire” and a monitoring and verification mechanism will be put in place to ensure compliance. It further stated that the violating party would be imposed with a penalty.

On Pakistan’s side the delegation is headed by Lt Gen Asim Malik, director general of the ISI, along with senior military, intelligence and foreign office officials. The Afghan Taliban delegation includes General Directorate of Intelligence, GDI chief Abdul Haq Waseq, Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani amongst others. 

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry highlighted that Pakistan’s single-point agenda is the end of terrorism stemming from Afghan soil. 

Another security official stated that Islamabad demands “concrete, verifiable guarantees” that groups such as the Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militants will no longer operate from Afghanistan. 

Despite the high-stakes setting, sources in both capitals have lowered expectations. The peace talks are a result of the deadly border clashes earlier this month in which dozens of soldiers and militants were killed. 

Mediators are confident that these rounds of talks can shift from agreement in opinion to practical implementation. But Islamabad cautions that failure to achieve real commitments could force it to return to military options. 

The broader regional situation adds urgency, analysts say the month-old ceasefire could unravel if progress after these talks stops, regenerating a cycle of cross-border strikes and instability. Both sides face heavy domestic and diplomatic pressure to turn dialogue into results.