Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on cross-border terrorism could resume if Kabul signalled a shift in its attitude.
Discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations had begun in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s long-standing concern of terror attacks emanating from Afghanistan had been a bone of contention, resulting in a stalemate.
While the talks have not begun [again], but our delegation is still in Istanbul,“ Asif said in a video statement aired on Geo News.
He added that “discussions could still restart” if there was “some development that indicates a material change in Kabul’s attitude on the insistence of these two friendly countries (Turkiye and Qatar)”.
“Our stand, that there will not be any attacks on us (Pakistan) from their land and they will not back such attacks, is a sticking point. If an understanding can be reached on that, [well and good], it will be a good thing,” Asif said.
While Information Minister Attaullah Tarar earlier on Wednesday said the latest dialogue failed to “bring about any workable solution”, security sources later in the day said a last-ditch effort was underway to salvage the talks.
Then, earlier today, security sources said Pakistan had agreed to resume talks with the Afghan Taliban at the request of mediators.
A security official said the Pakistani delegation in Istanbul was about to return, but would extend its stay there.
However, the source stressed that the discussions will be held on Pakistan’s “main demand” that Afghanistan takes “clear, verifiable and effective action” against terrorists.
It was decided to “give another chance to peace” by continuing the talks, the security official said. They added that Pakistan again underscored that Afghan soil will not be used to carry out terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
Pakistan has witnessed a rapid deterioration in ties with Afghanistan, with both sides over the past few weeks engaging in border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations.
A first round of Pak-Afghan talks mediated jointly by Qatar and Turkiye in Doha on October 18-19 had extended an initial 48-hour truce between the neighbouring countries. The Doha talks had come after days of fighting along the Pak-Afghan border and strikes by Islamabad on Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan.
The second round of dialogue in Istanbul failed to “bring about any workable solution”, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said late on Wednesday after four days of deliberations. The statement was followed by strongly worded remarks by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who warned Kabul of strikes deep in Afghanistan if terrorist activities continued to target Pakistan.
According to Asif, the Afghan Taliban acknowledged that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) must be stopped from carrying out attacks and “that they use our (Afghan) soil”.
However, the other side “was not ready” to give the assurance in writing, despite agreeing with them, the minister told reporters at Parliament House yesterday.
Asif stated that Pakistan was not offered to include the TTP in the talks, and even if it had been, the proposal would not have been accepted. He said the Afghan delegation was in continuous contact with Kabul, which was colluding with India and preventing an agreement.
In a separate interview with Al Arabiya, the minister said he had evidence to back his assertions that New Delhi was “pulling the strings” during talks with Taliban representatives in Doha and Turkiye.
Asif asserted that “India is actually waging a low-intensity war against us from the Afghan territory and trying to settle the score“ after the May conflict with Pakistan, where it was “defeated”.
Turkiye talks
The talks in Turkiye had began with the aim of finalising a mechanism to monitor Afghan Taliban actions aimed at preventing cross-border terrorist attacks.
The agenda included dismantling known TTP sanctuaries, arresting or expelling key figures and defining clear timelines and benchmarks for measurable action such as raids, arrests and destruction of safe houses.
To ensure implementation, Islamabad had planned to propose mechanisms for intelligence-sharing, cross-border coordination and real-time monitoring of militant movements and financing. Pakistan also supports establishing a third-party oversight structure, potentially co-chaired by Turkiye and Qatar, to verify progress and address non-compliance.
Additional priorities included securing Afghan assurances against providing safe havens to hostile groups, strengthening border control, ensuring financial transparency on militant funding and holding regular review meetings to assess compliance.
