Islamabad (TDI): The third round of high-stakes talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan opened in Istanbul on Thursday, managing to continue despite a brief but tense exchange of fire along the border that put a fragile truce to the test.
Under Turkish and Qatari mediation, the two-day dialogue is focused on finalizing a framework for a “monitoring and verification mechanism” agreed in principle last week. The mechanism aims to ensure both sides uphold their commitments, particularly regarding militant sanctuaries allegedly operating inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s delegation is led by ISI Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik, accompanied by senior officials from the military, intelligence community, and Foreign Office. Representing the Afghan Taliban is General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) chief Abdul Haq Waseq, joined by senior figures including Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, and Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, Dawn reported.
The Istanbul process follows deadly cross-border clashes last month, the most serious since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harboring fighters from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who Islamabad says are responsible for a surge in attacks. The Taliban deny the allegations and have accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes inside Afghan territory.
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A temporary ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 19 paved the way for renewed dialogue, with two earlier rounds held in Istanbul. Before the latest talks began, Turkish and Qatari intelligence officials held separate consultations with both delegations before moving to direct and indirect negotiations.
A senior Pakistani official told reporters that Islamabad’s stance remains firm. “Our position is based on ground realities and verifiable evidence,” he said. “We need a mechanism that ensures Taliban commitments are honored, including the handover of TTP leadership currently sheltering in Afghanistan,” the paper added.
Pakistan has also proposed involving neutral third-party observers to verify the presence of militant groups inside Afghanistan and to monitor any action taken against them.
On the Afghan side, the Taliban delegation came with direct instructions from their supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, to make only realistic commitments and resist what they view as “unilateral demands” from Islamabad.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, tension briefly flared on Thursday afternoon when two people, including a woman, were killed in cross-border firing at the Chaman–Spin Boldak crossing. The incident occurred just hours after the first session of talks, threatening to derail the fragile ceasefire.
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Both sides blamed each other for initiating the gunfire. A Pakistani official said Afghan forces opened fire at Tasadaq and Iqbal posts along the border, prompting a measured response. Afghan officials, meanwhile, described the episode as a “misunderstanding” triggered by celebratory fire from a nearby wedding.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of violating the truce. “While negotiations were ongoing in Istanbul, Pakistani forces opened fire on Spin Boldak,” he said, adding that Taliban troops refrained from retaliation “out of respect for the negotiation process.”
Pakistan’s Information Ministry swiftly rejected Mujahid’s statement as “baseless,” asserting that the firing originated from the Afghan side. “Our forces responded immediately and responsibly,” the ministry said, adding that the situation was quickly contained and the ceasefire remains in effect.
