Taliban-Pakistan Talks Begin In Istanbul To Address Security & Border Issues

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said the decision was made “in light of the current situation,” stressing that “the life of a common Pakistani is more valuable than trade or goods transport.”

Border skirmishes between Taliban and Pakistani forces erupted in early October, prompting the closure of most crossings along the frontier. Speaking at his first press briefing since taking office, Andrabi said the closures reflect the government’s priority of protecting lives over commerce.

The shutdown has left hundreds of trucks stranded at the Torkham and Chaman crossings, key trade routes between the two countries. Pakistani customs officials said around 495 transit trucks remain stuck awaiting clearance, leading to a sharp rise in food prices on both sides of the border, with tomato prices in Pakistan increasing fivefold.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance said customs clearance had been completed for 363 import trucks at the Torkham, Ghulam Khan, and Angur Ada crossings before trade was suspended, while 23 additional trucks remain in limbo at Torkham pending documentation.

Andrabi also confirmed that a ceasefire agreement was signed during the recent Doha talks between Taliban and Pakistani delegations. He added that the next round of negotiations between the two sides is scheduled to take place on 25 October in Istanbul, Türkiye.

He warned that the spread of extremism and terrorism poses a growing threat to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries.

Rahmon’s message was delivered on his behalf by Yusuf Rahmon, secretary of Tajikistan’s Security Council, during the third CIS conference on combating terrorism and extremism, held on Thursday, 23 October, in Dushanbe.

The Tajik president expressed concern about the spread of terrorist ideologies along CIS borders and called for joint and coordinated measures to counter extremist movements. He urged closer cooperation among intelligence and security agencies of member states to strengthen regional defences.

Rahmon also voiced alarm over the expanding narcotics trade, particularly the trafficking of synthetic drugs, which he said has become one of the main sources of financing for terrorist groups operating across the region.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organisation established after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its permanent members include Russia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Rahmon’s remarks coincided with the visit of a Taliban delegation to Dushanbe. On the same day, Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province, travelled to Tajikistan and held discussions with Tajik officials on security cooperation and border management.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad that the Istanbul dialogue seeks to establish a “tangible and verifiable monitoring mechanism” to curb cross-border militant activity.

Andrabi said Pakistan welcomes the agreement finalised in Doha on 19 October 2025, calling it an “important step toward ensuring regional peace and stability.” He added that Islamabad hopes the Istanbul meeting will help both sides create an effective framework to address what Pakistan views as the terror threat originating from Afghanistan.

It remains unclear which officials will represent the two sides in Istanbul. In the first round of talks, held in Doha last Saturday, Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, and Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the Taliban’s defence minister, led their respective delegations.

The Doha talks came after several days of deadly border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces. That round, mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, ended with an agreement on a temporary ceasefire, which remains largely intact, according to Andrabi.

The Taliban has not yet issued a statement regarding the upcoming Istanbul meeting.

Andrabi expressed Pakistan’s appreciation to Qatar and Türkiye for their constructive roles in facilitating dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul, saying continued engagement was crucial to promoting regional security and stability.

Her sister, Khushi Mahtab, said Wesal was detained by police and later transferred to the Haji Camp migrant detention centre in Islamabad. The family said she now faces the risk of forced deportation to Afghanistan.

Wesal has been living in Islamabad for the past three years with her sister and brother.

Her arrest comes amid an intensified crackdown on Afghan migrants in Pakistan, as authorities continue large-scale detentions and deportations of undocumented Afghans following recent border clashes between the Taliban and the Pakistani military.

Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that Afghan women particularly artists, journalists, and activists face severe persecution under Taliban rule if returned to Afghanistan.

According to the sources, Mehsud visited Hewad Shifa Hospital, located in Qala Cha along the Kabul–Logar highway, to visit wounded members of his group. They said the hospital had previously signed a contract to treat injured TTP fighters, but terminated the agreement after the airstrike.

Hewad Shifa Hospital denied the claim, however. A hospital spokesperson told Afghanistan International: “We have no specific contract to treat the wounded; all patients come on an individual basis.”

After Pakistan’s recent airstrike on Kabul, Mehsud released a video statement showing himself in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, following unconfirmed reports suggesting he had been targeted in the attack. Sources later confirmed the video was recent and filmed in Khyber district, though Mehsud’s current location remains unknown.

The same sources said the vehicle carrying Mehsud was targeted in the airstrike, but he survived.

Mehsud became the leader of the TTP in 2018 after his predecessor, Mullah Fazlullah, was killed in a US drone strike.

Following Pakistan’s airstrikes on Kabul and Paktika provinces, reports also circulated claiming that Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a senior TTP commander, had been killed. However, Afghanistan International sources confirmed that Bahadur is alive and had been residing mainly in Barmal district of Paktika province.

Bahadur, who leads the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the TTP, belongs to the Madukhil branch of the Wazir tribe. He has also been seen in other parts of Afghanistan, including Shakardara district of Kabul in 2022.

Both Noor Wali Mehsud and Hafiz Gul Bahadur, key figures in the Pakistani Taliban movement, hail from Waziristan and have played central roles in sustaining the TTP and its affiliated networks. Despite a longstanding rivalry, both men continue to wage separate insurgencies against Pakistan, while maintaining close ties to the Haqqani Network, from which they reportedly receive official support.