Pakistan, Afghan Taliban agree to resume talks in Istanbul after brief suspension

Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government have agreed to resume stalled negotiations in Istanbul following a request from mediator Turkey, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.

The Pakistani delegation decided to extend its stay in Istanbul to give the peace process “another chance” after a temporary breakdown earlier this week, the sources said.

“The decision to revive the dialogue process was taken to give peace another opportunity,” one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. “Both sides have agreed to continue discussions on Pakistan’s core concern — that Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.”

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to take “clear, verifiable, and effective action” against militant groups operating from Afghanistan, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose cross-border attacks have surged in recent months.

The latest round of talks follows earlier discussions in Doha, where both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire.

Pakistan said Wednesday that efforts to reach a lasting truce had “failed to bring about a workable solution,” warning it would take steps to protect its people after deadly border clashes.

The Istanbul negotiations, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, aim to end the most violent cross-border exchanges in years.

Dozens killed in border clashes this month

More than 70 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since fighting erupted following explosions in Kabul on Oct. 9, which Taliban officials blamed on Pakistan.

The Oct. 9 blasts coincided with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi. Soon after, Taliban forces launched retaliatory attacks along the border, prompting air and artillery strikes by Pakistan.

Relations between the two neighbors — who share a 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) frontier — have deteriorated sharply amid Islamabad’s accusations that Afghanistan shelters militants staging attacks in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Tora Bora reference

After talks collapsed on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a strongly worded warning to the Taliban, saying the country would not tolerate “terrorist or suicide attacks” on its soil.

“Pakistan will not tolerate any terrorist or suicide attacks on its soil, and any adventurism will be met with a harsh and bitter response,” Asif said on X, formerly Twitter.

In a thinly veiled threat, he added that Pakistan did not need to use its full strength “to dismantle the Taliban regime or force them to hide in caves.”

Asif invoked the 2001 Tora Bora battle, when U.S. forces bombarded Al Qaeda positions in eastern Afghanistan but failed to capture Osama bin Laden.

“If the Taliban regime so desires, revisiting the scenes of their past defeat in Tora Bora, where they fled with their tails between their legs, would undoubtedly be a new and fascinating spectacle for the nations of the world,” he said.

Diplomatic observers said the renewed willingness to talk signals cautious optimism, though Islamabad expects concrete steps from the Taliban to curb cross-border militancy and dismantle TTP sanctuaries.

Turkey, which maintains close ties with both Islamabad and Kabul, is facilitating the discussions in an effort to prevent further deterioration in regional security.