Peace talks between the Taliban and Pakistan in Istanbul have ended without reaching a long-term ceasefire agreement, according to media outlets close to the Taliban and Pakistani security sources cited by Reuters.
Local sources say Taliban forces clashed on Monday in the Payan-Mor area of Shahr-e-Buzurg district in Badakhshan province over control of a gold mine, leaving several casualties.
The Taliban’s governor of Balkh province, Yusuf Wafa, has travelled to Termez, Uzbekistan, along with a delegation, days after visiting Tajikistan.
The Taliban delegation denied the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups in Afghanistan during the ongoing talks with Pakistan in Istanbul, according to informed sources familiar with the negotiations.
The Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, said on Monday that Afghanistan’s education curriculum has been revised to align with “Islamic and Afghan culture.”
The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works announced on Monday that Afghanistan has received its first-ever diesel shipment via the Khaf–Herat railway, marking a new milestone in regional trade connectivity.
Pakistani security sources have accused the Taliban delegation of being “obstructive” and “uncooperative” during the third day of peace talks in Istanbul, according to a Reuters report on Monday.
Iran’s Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has launched a new social insurance programme for legal foreign workers, aiming to regulate employment and improve labour protections for migrants, most of whom are Afghan nationals.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior announced that a delegation led by Ibrahim Sadr, the ministry’s deputy for security affairs, has travelled to Tehran to attend the fourth meeting of interior ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The Taliban have submitted a draft agreement to the Pakistani delegation after 15 hours of talks in Istanbul, outlining proposals to strengthen the ceasefire and prevent cross-border hostilities, informed sources told Afghanistan International.
Nila Ibrahimi, an Afghan teenager has been selected as one of the 17 United Nations Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2025.
Mohammad Murad Amanov, head of TAPI gas pipeline project, said Turkmenistan plans to begin supplying natural gas to Afghanistan by early 2027, once the Afghan section of the pipeline is completed.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, arrived in Kabul on Sunday for talks with Taliban officials, the Iranian embassy in Kabul announced on X.
The Taliban have appointed Mawlawi Ismail Ghaznawi as the new governor of Badakhshan province, the group’s Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad could enter an open conflict with the Taliban if ongoing negotiations with the Taliban fail to produce results.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works said on Saturday that Afghanistan, Türkiye, and Iran have agreed to expand cooperation in the railway sector, including plans to jointly launch the Herat–Mazar-e-Sharif railway project.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, met on Friday, 24 October, with Shaher Al-Taqi, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Delta International, to discuss investment in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sector.
The second round of talks between the Taliban and Pakistan began in Istanbul on Saturday, 25 October, with both sides expected to discuss security cooperation, cross-border militancy, and the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that border crossings with Afghanistan will remain closed following recent clashes between the two countries, citing ongoing security concerns.
Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon has emphasised that stability in Afghanistan is a key factor for the security of Tajikistan and the wider region.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban will take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Saturday with the primary aim of halting terrorist attacks launched from Afghan soil.