Afghanistan, Pakistan resume Istanbul peace talks after border clashes

Afghanistan and Pakistan have resumed peace talks in Istanbul, four sources told Reuters on Thursday, just one day after Islamabad announced the talks had failed.

According to three of the sources, the decision to restart the dialogue came at the request of mediators Turkey and Qatar, who are seeking to prevent a renewal of the deadly border clashes that have killed dozens this month.

A Pakistani security source said Islamabad will insist on its key demand: that Afghanistan take action against Islamist militants who are using Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks on Pakistan.

A source close to the Afghan Taliban delegation said that “Most issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been resolved successfully and peacefully. However, some of Pakistan’s demands need more time due to the complexity of reaching an agreement.”

What is the context?
Islamabad has long accused the Taliban government of harboring members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a separate extremist group that has carried out deadly attacks on Pakistani forces from inside Afghanistan. Kabul denies having control over the group.
In a statement from Kabul, Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani urged Pakistan to address its domestic security issues rather than inflame tensions in Afghanistan, warning that this “will come at a high price.” He added that Kabul seeks peaceful relations with all countries but will defend itself if attacked.

Cross-border violence escalates
Clashes erupted along the 2,600-kilometer border earlier this month following Pakistani airstrikes on targets in Kabul, reportedly aimed at a top TTP leader. In response, the Taliban launched counterattacks on Pakistani military positions.

Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have sharply escalated following the collapse of ceasefire negotiations aimed at de-escalating violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Talks held in Istanbul, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, ended without a breakthrough, prompting a fierce response from Pakistan’s leadership.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stark warning on Wednesday, saying the Taliban government could be “completely obliterated” if the conflict continues.

“Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” Asif said on X.
On Thursday, Pakistan announced it had killed Qari Amjad, the deputy leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, in a cross-border operation near Afghanistan. Islamabad hailed the action as a major victory. The TTP has confirmed his death.