ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has confirmed that Qatar and Türkiye are actively mediating to keep the Pakistan–Afghanistan peace process from collapsing.
“Their efforts are aimed at ensuring the talks continue without any disruption,” Asif said, noting that Pakistan’s delegation had reached the airport for its return home late Wednesday but was asked by the hosts to stay in Istanbul “to give dialogue one more chance.”
Asif told Pakistan’s private GEO TV that while talks have not yet resumed, the Pakistani delegation remains in Istanbul, and both mediating countries are pressing the Afghan Taliban to show “flexibility” in their stance. He expressed hope that diplomatic intervention by Qatar and Türkiye could help soften Kabul’s position and revive the process.
Pakistan’s Firm Position on Cross-Border Militancy
Pakistan has agreed to resume negotiations at the request of the hosts, senior security sources told WE News. The sources said Islamabad’s stance remains “clear and uncompromising” — that Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
Officials stressed that Pakistan will approach the next round with sincerity but will not compromise on national security. “Pakistan wants meaningful talks — not symbolic ones — that yield concrete guarantees against cross-border terrorism,” a senior security official said.
According to sources, Pakistan’s security red lines remain non-negotiable, and no amount of pressure, propaganda, or diplomatic maneuvering will alter that position.
Talks in Istanbul Collapsed Earlier This Week
The peace talks — mediated by Türkiye and facilitated by Qatar — had collapsed on Tuesday, after the Afghan Taliban delegation refused to commit to action against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant network Islamabad identifies as its principal security threat.
Diplomatic sources say both Ankara and Doha are now trying to bridge differences between Islamabad and Kabul, hoping to restore the October 19 ceasefire agreed earlier in Doha. That agreement had aimed to establish a verifiable mechanism to prevent cross-border attacks.
However, the Afghan side’s reluctance to dismantle TTP sanctuaries has frustrated Pakistani negotiators. “The talks can only move forward when there is credible action against these groups,” one diplomat familiar with the process told WE News.
Islamabad’s Red Lines and Future Outlook
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has experienced a sharp rise in militant attacks traced to Afghan soil. Analysts say the TTP’s networks have regrouped under Taliban patronage, targeting civilians, border posts, and military installations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Officials warn that the Afghan Taliban risk “repeating the mistakes of the 1990s”, when their protection of al-Qaeda led to catastrophic consequences, including foreign invasion and two decades of war. “Harboring the TTP now could isolate Kabul once again,” one diplomat cautioned.
For now, Pakistan remains in Istanbul, awaiting diplomatic movement by Türkiye and Qatar to restart formal dialogue. Islamabad’s message, however, remains unchanged: it seeks peace through responsibility, not peace through compromise.
