Afghanistan and Pakistan return to Istanbul for more peace talks

• Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last week ended without a long-term deal, due to a disagreement over militant groups hostile to Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Afghanistan and Pakistan will resume peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday, both nations said, after a previous round ended without agreeing a lasting truce.

Militaries from the South Asian neighbors clashed last month, with dozens killed in the worst such violence since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last week ended without a long-term deal, due to a disagreement over militant groups hostile to Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan. “We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region,” Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday.

He said Islamabad is pursuing a “one-point agenda” of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban’s knowledge. Two government sources said the head of Pakistan’s military intelligence wing, Asim Malik, is leading the Pakistani delegation.

The Afghan delegation will be led by intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told state broadcaster RTA.

TALKS AIMED AT PREVENTING REPEAT OF VIOLENCE

Pakistan and the Taliban had for decades enjoyed warm ties, but relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harboring the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group that has clashed repeatedly with the Pakistani military. Kabul denies this, saying it has no control over the group. The October clashes began after Pakistani airstrikes earlier in the month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, among other locations, targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.

The Afghan Taliban administration responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier, which remains closed to trade. Clashes have continued throughout the ceasefire period, with multiple deaths reported on both sides.