Peace negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a stalemate, with Islamabad accusing the Taliban of adopting an “unrealistic and disconnected” stance on vital security concerns, particularly in the area of counter-terrorism cooperation. Pakistani media reports suggest that this rigid attitude from the Taliban is threatening the fragile progress achieved in earlier discussions.
The latest round of talks took place in Istanbul on Saturday, marking the second attempt at dialogue following the initial negotiations in Doha a week earlier. Those talks were initiated after the October 16 ceasefire, which brought an end to the most intense clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban since the latter assumed control of Afghanistan in 2021. Despite initial optimism, the second phase of dialogue failed to produce meaningful outcomes, revealing deep mistrust and diverging interests between both sides.
According to Geo News, Pakistan presented what it described as “clear, evidence-based, and solution-oriented” demands aimed at limiting cross-border militancy and preventing terrorist infiltration. However, Taliban representatives reportedly dismissed many of these concerns and resisted commitments to verifiable counter-terrorism actions. This stance, described as “illogical and detached,” has raised doubts about the Taliban’s intent to address Pakistan’s grievances seriously.
Radio Pakistan reported that the Istanbul meetings primarily focused on establishing a joint oversight and monitoring system designed to control cross-border militant movement and reduce trade restrictions. Discussions also expanded to cover the idea of building a longer-term political framework to promote sustained peace and cooperation between the two nations. Yet, progress remained limited due to continued Taliban resistance to acknowledging “ground realities,” according to diplomatic sources cited by Geo News.
Turkey, which hosted the negotiations, is reportedly acting as an intermediary, encouraging the Taliban delegation to recognise the severity of Pakistan’s concerns. Islamabad has made it clear that tolerance for or protection of militants targeting Pakistani territory will not be acceptable under any circumstances. Pakistani negotiators urged the Taliban to take “firm and verifiable” actions against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, warning that failure to do so could escalate the situation further.
The first round of talks, held in Istanbul on October 19, saw Pakistan submit a detailed counterterrorism strategy to Kabul. The Afghan side provided its response late that night, around 2 a.m. on Sunday, but failed to address core issues to Pakistan’s satisfaction. As the second phase resumed, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif cautioned that if the negotiations collapsed, an “all-out war” could ensue. Speaking to the media, he emphasised that there had been no violent incidents along the border for several days and that roughly 80 percent of the points agreed upon in the earlier Doha discussions were already under implementation.
In a separate but related development, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced his willingness to intervene and mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to help prevent further conflict. Speaking at the signing ceremony of the Thailand–Cambodia peace agreement during the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, Trump stated, “We’re averaging one war a month. There’s only one left, though I hear Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up. But I’ll get that solved very quickly. I know them both.” He praised the leadership in both countries, calling them “great people,” and expressed confidence that he could resolve the dispute efficiently.
Trump added that conflict resolution was something he was well-equipped to handle, claiming, “If I can take time and save millions of lives, that’s a great thing. I can’t think of anything better to do.” Earlier in the month, at the Gaza Peace Summit, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif referred to Trump as a “man of peace,” crediting him with easing tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
However, despite Trump’s repeated assertions of mediating South Asian conflicts, New Delhi has consistently denied the involvement of any third party in its ceasefire agreements with Islamabad. India maintains that peace efforts with Pakistan are strictly bilateral, conducted without outside intervention.
In essence, while Turkey hosts renewed attempts at dialogue and international figures express optimism about peace, the stalemate between Islamabad and Kabul reflects a deeper geopolitical tension. The unresolved issue of cross-border terrorism continues to define the strained relationship, leaving both nations at a crossroads between diplomacy and confrontation.
