Pakistan, Afghanistan hold sixth round of peace talks

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The sixth round of talks between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban on counterterrorism was held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Thursday. 

According to the Turk Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both countries will finalise the mechanism for implementing the ceasefire and have agreed to establish a monitoring and verification system that will ensure action against any violations of the ceasefire.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said before the departure of the delegation that Pakistan “demands that Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism. We only engage in dialogue when there is a possibility of progress — otherwise, it’s a waste of time.”

Asif stated that Pakistan’s stance is clear: “attacks on Pakistan from Afghan territory must stop.” He expressed the hope that the Taliban would act wisely for the establishment of peace in the region.

According to sources, both sides are expected to finalise a mechanism for implementing the ceasefire.

Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have intensified since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Pakistan witnessed a surge in terror attacks in recent months. It escalated after attacks were launched from the Afghan side on the night of October 11. Later, on October 19, both countries reached a ceasefire agreement in Doha. Following efforts by Türkiye and Qatar, both sides returned to the negotiating table.

Earlier, the second round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks was held in Istanbul on October 25. The long and tense negotiations failed to meet Pakistan’s single demand — to stop terrorism originating from Afghan soil.

During the talks, the Afghan delegation repeatedly sought instructions from Kabul and Kandahar. After the talks failed, the Pakistani delegation departed for home but, at Türkiye’s request, returned from Istanbul Airport to give the negotiations one final chance.

According to a statement issued by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides agreed to maintain the ceasefire, establish a monitoring and verification mechanism for peacekeeping, and impose penalties on violators. They also agreed to hold high-level talks on November 6.

Also read: No peace with Afghanistan unless TTP sanctuaries are dismantled, says Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot be achieved until the Taliban regime in Kabul ends its support for the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and stops cross-border infiltration.