ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said late Friday that the latest round of talks between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban had ended without any breakthrough and that no new meeting has been scheduled.
Speaking to a private news channel, Asif confirmed that the negotiation process is effectively on hold, as the dialogue framework proposed by Türkiye is currently inactive. He added that Pakistan remains committed to peace but will no longer tolerate inaction from Kabul over cross-border militancy.
The Istanbul talks — mediated by Türkiye and Qatar — were seen as one of the most crucial diplomatic engagements between the two neighbours since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover. However, despite intense backchannel diplomacy, officials said the discussions concluded late Friday night without tangible progress. The deadlock, they said, stemmed from Kabul’s continued reluctance to take “verifiable and time-bound” steps against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries operating from Afghan soil.
Behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Conrad Hotel, Pakistani and Afghan delegations engaged in what diplomats described as “the most serious and forthright exchange” since the dialogue began. Pakistan’s delegation, led by Lt Gen Asim Malik, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), adopted a visibly tougher tone, pressing for guarantees and compliance mechanisms to ensure Afghan territory is not used against Pakistan.
The Afghan delegation, headed by Abdul Haq Waseq, chief of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), and accompanied by Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, and Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, resisted key demands, prompting the stalemate.
Pakistan’s Firm Stance
Officials said Islamabad’s position during the talks was categorical: no more verbal assurances, only demonstrable action. Pakistan reiterated its nine-point agenda, calling for the elimination of terrorist sanctuaries, joint monitoring, and third-party verification if bilateral mechanisms fail.
“Pakistan’s patience has run its course,” a senior official told reporters after the session. “Our goodwill since 2021 has been repeatedly exploited. This time, Islamabad’s message was clear — cooperation must be mutual, measurable, and enforceable.”
Defence Minister Asif echoed this sentiment, noting that Pakistan has shouldered the burden of regional instability for decades. “We have sacrificed too much to see terrorism re-emerge from across the border,” he said. “The responsibility now lies squarely with Kabul.”
Key Demands and Security Concerns
During the Istanbul round, Pakistan sought the handover of TTP leaders and fighters sheltering in Afghanistan, as well as a formal declaration from the Taliban government disassociating itself from anti-Pakistan elements, including Baloch insurgents.
Officials said Pakistan also raised concerns over propaganda campaigns allegedly supported by hostile intelligence agencies and warned that any facilitation of anti-Pakistan activities would be treated as a “directly hostile act.”
Beyond security issues, Islamabad hinted at possible economic and diplomatic responses, including curbing trade and repatriating undocumented Afghans if Kabul continued to ignore cross-border militancy.
“Islamabad made it clear there will be no more goodwill gestures,” Syed Muhammad Ali, Islamabad-based security analyst, told We News. “Pakistan’s position is now firm — no carrots, only sticks,” he said. Ali said beyond counterterrorism, Pakistan’s message carried economic and social warnings. It hinted at closing border trade and deporting Afghan nationals if militant infiltration persisted.
“Pakistan has been patient long enough,” Ali said. “The goodwill extended since 2021 has been exploited. This time the message is direct, deliberate, and final.”
Drug Trade and Militant Financing
Pakistani intelligence officials also briefed mediators on the nexus between the Afghan narcotics trade and terror financing. According to UN data presented during the meeting, Afghanistan remains a major hub for opium production and is rapidly expanding synthetic drug operations. Pakistani assessments suggest that up to 10% of TTP funding comes from narcotics smuggling, which Islamabad says the Taliban have failed to curb.
“Without addressing this financial lifeline, any counterterrorism effort remains incomplete,” a Pakistani delegate told mediators.
Mediation and Deadlock
Turkish and Qatari mediators, who had hoped to secure a draft agreement for a joint monitoring mechanism, were unable to bridge the gap between the two sides. Diplomats said Pakistan’s position was unwavering: the ceasefire’s survival depends entirely on Kabul’s willingness to deliver results on the ground.
“Pakistan wants peace, but not at the cost of its security,” an official said following the conclusion of talks. “Our forces have been patient, our diplomacy sincere — now the burden of proof rests with Afghanistan.”
Minister Thanks Türkiye and Qatar for Mediating Talks
Pakistan’s Minister for Information, Atta Tarar, in a post on X thanked Türkiye and Qatar for mediation of talks, adding that the onus lies on Afghanistan to fulfill its long-standing international/ regional and bilateral pledges, regarding control of terrorism, in which so far they have failed.
Tarar reiterated that Pakistan does not harbor any ill will against the Afghan people. “However, shall never support Afghan Taliban Regime’s any measures that are detrimental to the interest of Afghan people as well as the neighbouring countries,” he said.
“Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to protect the security of its people and its sovereignty,” he concluded.
Pakistan is thankful to brotherly countries of Turkiye and Qatar for mediation of talks; onus lies on Afghanistan to fulfill its long standing international/ regional and bilateral pledges, regarding control of terrorism in which so far they have failed.
Pakistan does not harbor…
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) November 7, 2025
A Long Road with Limited Progress
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Pakistan has engaged in multiple rounds of dialogue, hundreds of border-level meetings, and extensive diplomatic outreach — all aimed at preventing Afghan soil from being used for terrorism. Yet officials say progress has been negligible.
Pakistan maintains that the ongoing wave of militant violence, financed through narcotics and supported by external actors, represents an existential threat to its national security. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban regime to either take decisive action against “Fitna al-Khawarij” — the term used by Pakistani officials for the TTP — or hand over their leaders to face justice.
Despite the lack of a breakthrough, Pakistan’s message remains consistent: dialogue will continue only if backed by concrete, verifiable action from Kabul. Otherwise, Islamabad warns, the costs of inaction will fall squarely on those enabling instability in the region.
