The Taliban has finalised its delegation for the third round of talks with Pakistan in Istanbul, with intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq set to lead the six-member team, informed sources told Afghanistan International on Wednesday.
According to the sources, the delegation includes Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s representative in Qatar; Rahmatullah Najib, deputy interior minister; Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry; Zakir Jalali, head of the ministry’s second political division; and senior Taliban figure Anas Haqqani.
The Pakistani delegation will be led by Asim Malik, head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid earlier confirmed on Taliban-controlled national television that Wasiq and his team would depart for Istanbul on Wednesday.
The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, comes as both sides attempt to ease escalating tensions after the previous Istanbul talks ended without progress. Türkiye and Qatar, acting as mediators, have pushed both sides to remain engaged until concrete results are reached.
Analysts say Türkiye is representing Pakistan’s interests in the process, while Qatar serves as a guarantor for the Taliban. The second round concluded with a joint statement from the mediators announcing an agreement to maintain the existing ceasefire.
The first round of talks between the Taliban and Pakistani foreign ministers was held in Qatar and produced a bilateral agreement. Pakistani officials later claimed the deal contained confidential annexes, while the Taliban denied this, saying the agreement had not yet been finalised.
After last week’s failed round in Istanbul, Taliban-controlled national television claimed that certain factions within Pakistan’s military were obstructing the negotiations, adding that the administration “cannot prevent attacks in Pakistan.”
Islamabad has accused the Taliban of harbouring militant groups including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and says deadly attacks inside Pakistan are being planned from Afghan territory. The Taliban deny the presence of any foreign militants in Afghanistan and reject Pakistan’s demands for written guarantees to curb TTP activity.
