Pakistan and the Taliban have agreed to resume peace talks in Istanbul following mediation efforts by Turkiye, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing three informed sources.
The decision comes just a day after Pakistan officially announced the collapse of the Istanbul negotiations, which had aimed to resolve growing tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban in Kabul.
According to Pakistan’s Geo News, Islamabad agreed to return to the negotiating table at Turkiye’s request, in an effort to preserve the ceasefire and prevent further escalation.
The report said the Pakistani delegation, which had been preparing to leave Istanbul, has now extended its stay to continue discussions with the Taliban. It added that Pakistan decided to give peace “another chance.”
While the exact timing of the renewed talks has not been confirmed, Afghan media outlets have reported that delegations from both sides were expected to reconvene on Thursday.
The Taliban have not yet issued an official statement regarding the resumption of the negotiations.
The earlier round of talks, held over four consecutive days in Istanbul with mediation by Qatar and Turkiye, ended on Tuesday without an agreement. Both sides later blamed each other for the failure of the discussions.
