ISLAMABAD: A high-level Turkish delegation, led by the country’s intelligence chief, is expected to visit Pakistan in the coming days to help revive stalled ceasefire talks with Afghanistan, officials said.
The visit — announced after Erdoğan meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku — comes after stop-start talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar earlier this month failed to finalize mechanisms for enforcing the Oct. 19 ceasefire agreed in Doha.
The four-day negotiations were marked by repeated delays, harsh rhetoric, and what Pakistani officials described as last-minute reversals by the Afghan side.
Islamabad’s primary demand — verifiable action against anti-Pakistan terrorists operating from Afghan soil — remained unmet. Pakistan reiterated it would respond decisively if cross-border attacks continued.
Last month, Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan on what it said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)-linked targets, triggering fierce exchanges of fire across the frontier.
Erdoğan said Turkey was “closely following the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” expressing hope that the upcoming talks would help “seal a permanent ceasefire and peace between Islamabad and Kabul as soon as possible,” according to a readout reported by TRT.
Pakistan’s Strong Response to Taliban ‘Inaction’
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Islamabad had never avoided dialogue with any Kabul government, stressing its continued commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
However, it accused the Taliban of offering only “hollow promises and inaction,” despite Pakistan’s measures to support Afghanistan — including humanitarian assistance, trade facilitation, and diplomatic outreach encouraging global engagement with the Taliban administration.
Islamabad said Kabul had repeatedly refused its requests to hand over wanted militants, claiming a “lack of control,” a stance Pakistan framed as a question of “intent rather than capability.”
Relations have deteriorated since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban returned to power and militant attacks in Pakistan — largely attributed to the TTP — sharply increased. Though separate entities, the TTP is viewed by Islamabad as an ideological and operational ally of the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan additionally accuses the Taliban government of coordinating with India, its regional rival.
