Pakistan, Afghan Taliban agree to continue ceasefire
ISTANBUL (Web Desk) Pakistan and Afghan Taliban on Thursday agreed to maintain a ceasefire during talks held in Istanbul via the mediation of Turkiye and Qatar.
According to sources, the meetings were held Oct. 25-30 in Istanbul, with the attendance of Turkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Afghan Taliban to strengthen a ceasefire agreed on in Doha earlier this month under the mediation of Turkiye and Qatar.
The statement issued after the meeting noted that the parties reached a consensus on the continuation of the ceasefire.
It said additional principles for implementation will be discussed and finalized during a high-level meeting to be held on November 6 in Istanbul.
It also stated that the parties agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the maintenance of peace and impose penalties on any side that violates the agreement.
Turkiye and Qatar expressed appreciation for the constructive contributions made by Pakistan and Afghan Taliban to the process.
They reaffirmed their readiness to continue supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.
The 48-hour ceasefire announced Oct. 15 following border clashes between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban had been extended until the conclusion of the Doha talks, with the support of Turkiye and Qatar.
The Istanbul negotiations centred on Pakistan’s core demand that Afghanistan take “clear, verifiable and irreversible action” against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups involved in cross-border attacks from Afghan territory.
Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, speaking earlier in Peshawar, reiterated Pakistan’s red lines, saying that while Islamabad desired peace with all its neighbours, it “will not allow cross-border terrorism to be perpetrated from Afghan soil against Pakistan.”
The Taliban delegation, while participating in the dialogue, however, maintained that it could not fully control TTP operatives. A senior Taliban official said the Afghan side had offered to detain and expel any TTP members found on Afghan territory.
“But Pakistan keeps insisting that we control TTP’s attacks inside Pakistan,” the official said. “These fighters are Pakistani nationals operating within Pakistan.”
Pakistani negotiators also demanded that the Taliban formally declare the TTP a terrorist organisation and publicly denounce it as a fitna — an Islamic term for sedition or mischief.
Diplomatic sources said direct interaction between the two delegations remained limited throughout the five days, with most communication handled through mediators. “Even during meal breaks, the sides barely spoke,” one source said.
Afghanistan continues to deny harbouring militants, accusing Pakistan instead of violating its sovereignty through airstrikes and, according to Afghan media, allowing US drones to operate from its airspace — a charge Islamabad denies. Kabul insisted during the talks that any future agreement must include assurances against such operations.
While the Istanbul agreement marks a breakthrough after days of tension, diplomats cautioned that deep mistrust persists. “This is a framework for peace, not yet peace itself,” a foreign diplomat said. “It will take sustained verification, discipline and trust to make it hold.”
