The Media Line: Pakistan and Afghanistan Extend Ceasefire After Talks in Istanbul  

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Pakistan and Afghanistan Extend Ceasefire After Talks in Istanbul  

By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line  

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend a ceasefire following several days of tense negotiations in Istanbul, Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, announced Friday.  

Tarar said that while Pakistan has upheld its commitments to peace, the responsibility now rests with the Taliban government to prevent militant groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), from launching attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan soil.  

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry announced late Thursday night that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to maintain the ceasefire and establish a monitoring and verification mechanism, the details of which will be finalized at a meeting scheduled for Nov. 6 in Istanbul.  

Qatar and Turkey mediated the peace talks aimed at easing tensions arising from border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan that began in early October.  

Turkey and Qatar expressed their appreciation for the active participation of both sides and reaffirmed their commitment to continue cooperating with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the pursuit of lasting peace and stability.  

The first round of talks took place in Doha, where both countries agreed to a ceasefire on Oct. 19. The second round began on Oct. 25 in Istanbul and lasted four days but ended without an agreement.  

On Oct. 29, Pakistan declared the Istanbul talks unsuccessful and blamed the other side for the failure.  

However, a day later, on Oct. 30, Pakistan’s state-run television, PTV, citing official sources, reported that Islamabad had agreed to resume dialogue with Afghanistan at the request of the host government.  

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called the Istanbul talks “a complex process,” saying they ended with an understanding that both sides would meet again to resolve pending issues.  

He praised Turkey and Qatar for their mediation, noting that the Islamic Emirate believes in diplomacy and had engaged in the process with sincerity and patience.  

Mujahid added that Afghanistan seeks friendly ties with Pakistan based on mutual respect, noninterference and peaceful coexistence.  

The decision follows the most intense border clashes between the two countries in years, which killed dozens of people and shut down major trade routes.  

Officials close to the talks said both sides agreed that the ceasefire would remain in effect while a joint monitoring mechanism is developed to investigate and address any future violations.  

Analysts say the truce’s extension signals fatigue on both sides after weeks of fighting, though deep mistrust between them persists.  

Regional observers believe that unless the Taliban clamps down on militant networks, another round of violence could erupt, undoing the fragile calm achieved through Istanbul’s mediation efforts.  

Meanwhile, as ceasefire talks were underway, Pakistan’s army killed Qari Amjad — a top commander of the banned TTP — during an attempted infiltration from Afghanistan.  

In a Thursday statement, the armed forces’ media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that during the night between Oct. 29 and 30, security forces detected the movement of a group near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Bajaur district who were attempting to infiltrate into Pakistan.  

According to the ISPR, a competently executed operation resulted in the killing of four militants, including a key external leader, Qari Amjad.  

The government of Pakistan had placed a bounty of 5 million rupees on his head, while the US State Department had also designated him as a global terrorist.