Pakistan, Taliban End Istanbul Talks With No Breakthrough

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has announced that Pakistan and the Taliban have agreed to continue observing the ceasefire reached earlier this month, though key issues remain unresolved.

The two sides are set to resume talks on 6 November in Istanbul to finalise a monitoring mechanism for the truce.

In a statement released late Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the conclusion of the second round of negotiations between Taliban and Pakistani delegations in Istanbul. The five-day talks, held from 25 to 30 October, took place under the mediation of Qatar and Türkiye.

According to the statement, senior officials from both sides will participate in the next round of discussions. The ministry said the delegations reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the ceasefire, initially agreed between the defence ministers of Pakistan and the Taliban administration during their meeting in Doha.

Despite this, no concrete agreement was reached in Istanbul. The main sticking point remains the presence of militant groups inside Afghanistan and their cross-border attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny that Pakistani militants operate from Afghan soil, describing the matter as Pakistan’s “internal issue.” Pakistani military officials, however, have warned that continued attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants could trigger a strong response from Islamabad.

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said both sides agreed to establish a joint monitoring and verification mechanism to help maintain peace, under which any violation of the ceasefire would carry specific consequences.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the Istanbul negotiations, which he described as “a complex process”, ended with an agreement for both sides to reconvene to discuss outstanding issues.

Mujahid reiterated that the Taliban “believe in peace and dialogue” and, like other countries in the region, seek “peaceful and respectful relations” with Pakistan. He also underscored the importance of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s affairs, and ensuring that neither country’s territory is used for hostile actions.