KEY POINTS
- Pakistan and Afghan Taliban hold the second round of talks in Istanbul.
- Islamabad demanded an immediate end to cross-border terror attacks from Afghan soil.
- Pakistan urged the Taliban to act against TTP and BLA sanctuaries operating inside Afghanistan.
- Pakistan warned that dialogue cannot progress until its security concerns are addressed.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime continued talks in Istanbul on Sunday for the second consecutive day, with Islamabad maintaining a firm stance that cross-border terror attacks must end before any further progress in negotiations can be achieved.
Pakistan has conveyed to the Taliban authorities that terror attacks by banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — terrorist groups linked to cross-border terrorism—must stop immediately, media reported, citing diplomatic sources.
Pakistan has delivered a clear and firm message to Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, sources said. “Until the Taliban authorities provide firm guarantees that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks or terrorism against Pakistan, there can be no discussion or negotiations on any other issue,” one source said regarding the Istanbul talks.
Pakistan has laid out sufficient proof of the presence of TTP and BLA terrorists on Afghan soil, including the presence of the leadership that is being given shelter by the Afghan Taliban, sources said.
Islamabad has reiterated that Afghan territory should not be used to launch terror attacks against Pakistan and called for the establishment of a “clear and effective” mechanism to control militancy.
“Only when this fundamental demand is accepted can the dialogue move forward,” one source was quoted as saying, adding that Pakistan “will show no flexibility” if its concerns remain unaddressed.
🚨 Update:
🟥 Pakistan – Afghan Taliban Talks in Isntanbul– While talks between Afghan Taliban and Pakistan are going on in Istanbul through the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar, it appears that Afghan Taliban do not want to go against Fitna al Khwarij and FAH
– Pakistan has… pic.twitter.com/0c7qwPaLLY
— Eagle Eye (@zarrar_11PK) October 26, 2025
The talks are being mediated by Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and follow last week’s Doha truce brokered by Qatar and Turkiye, which temporarily halted clashes along the border.
Taliban offers draft proposal
According to diplomatic sources, cited by local media, the Taliban delegation—led by Deputy Interior Minister Rahmatullah Mujib—submitted a draft proposal late Saturday night outlining a bilateral ceasefire framework and a four-party oversight mechanism for monitoring and intelligence sharing.
Ongoing Peace Talks🚨
Pakistan’s Clarity – Afghan Taliban’s Complicity‼️‼️
•Pakistan entered peace talks with a single non-negotiable agenda “Dismantle all TTP sanctuaries and support structures inside Afghanistan.”
•The Afghan Taliban’s evasive conduct shows either lack of… https://t.co/vP8fyGbVuB— The Intel Consortium (@IntelPk_) October 26, 2025
Islamabad responded with a detailed counterproposal early Sunday morning, urging the Taliban regime to take “concrete action” against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and dismantle terrorist sanctuaries operating on Afghan soil.
“Pakistan has demanded verifiable guarantees that Afghan territory will not be used for attacks against Pakistan,” a diplomatic source, cited by ARY News, said. The Taliban’s draft reportedly includes commitments to non-interference and mutual respect for sovereignty, while Pakistan insists on a credible verification mechanism to track ceasefire violations.
Pakistan-Afghan Taliban talks
The Istanbul dialogue marks the second round of peace talks, following the first held in Doha on October 18–19. Those talks resulted in a temporary ceasefire after several days of intense border clashes that left at least 23 Pakistani soldiers dead and more than 200 Taliban fighters killed, according to Pakistani officials.
Pakistan’s delegation, led by senior government officials, also presented a comprehensive counterterrorism plan on Saturday, calling for the closure of terrorist training camps and militant bases inside Afghanistan. Sources said the nine-hour session aimed to finalise modalities for cross-border security coordination.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Friday that Pakistan expects the Istanbul talks to produce a “concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism” to counter terrorism emanating from Afghan soil.
“As a responsible state committed to regional peace and stability, Pakistan does not seek escalation but urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitment to the international community and take verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the TTP and BLA,” Andrabi said.
Taliban’s failure to eliminate TTP
The ongoing negotiations underscore growing frustration in Islamabad over what it sees as the Taliban’s failure to rein in the TTP, which has intensified attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan has proposed a joint oversight body, co-chaired by Turkiye and Qatar, to monitor compliance, track terror financing, and enable real-time intelligence sharing.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday accused India of using the Afghan Taliban to wage a proxy war against Pakistan. He warned that Islamabad “will not hesitate to defend itself” if the peace efforts collapse.
Pakistan forces foil cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan
Earlier, Pakistan’s security forces killed 25 TTP terrorists attempting to infiltrate from Afghanistan during two separate operations in North Waziristan and Kurram, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.
🟥🟥 IMPORTANT 📝
The Recent infiltration attempts by Fitna al Khwarij are being carried out at a time when delegations of #Pakistan and #Afghanistan are engaged in talks in Türkiye; casting doubts on intentions of Interim Afghan Government with regards to addressing the issue… pic.twitter.com/yO0XtVT9Vx
— Eagle Eye (@zarrar_11PK) October 26, 2025
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the infiltration attempts were detected on October 24 and 25 when two large groups of TTP terrorists tried to cross the border near the Ghaki area of Kurram and the Spinwam area of North Waziristan.
The ISPR noted that these infiltration attempts by banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists occurred as delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan were holding talks in Turkiye, raising doubts about the Afghan interim government’s commitment to curbing terrorism emanating from its soil.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged Kabul to ensure effective border management and fulfil its obligations under the Doha Agreement by denying Afghan territory to anti-Pakistan militant groups.
“The Security Forces of Pakistan remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.
