After Doha Ceasefire, Islamabad and Kabul Seek ‘Monitoring Mechanism’ in Istanbul Talks
Pakistan and Afghanistan convened a second round of talks in Istanbul on Saturday, seeking to curb cross-border attacks and cool a rapidly deteriorating security standoff, following an initial meeting in Doha earlier this month that produced a temporary ceasefire and a plan to continue negotiations. Speaking informally to reporters in Sialkot the same day, Pakistan delegation head Khawaja Asif said Qatar and Turkey “are genuinely helping to mediate talks with the Afghan Taliban,” adding there had been no incidents since discussions began in Doha.
Asif led Pakistan’s team at the Doha opener, which agreed to pursue further discussions “for sustained peace in the area.”
“In our discussions with them, I sensed that they do want peace—but the conditions under which they seek peace will gradually become clearer, some from the earlier talks and some from what is being discussed today,” he said. According to Asif, an agreement will certainly be reached if the terms are in Pakistan’s favor.
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He framed Pakistan’s expectations against decades of hosting Afghan refugees. “We have hosted the Afghan people for 40 years, and even now, around four million or slightly fewer Afghans are residing here. They have earned their livelihood from Pakistani soil; three generations of theirs have grown up here. Those we were talking to in Doha all grew up in Pakistan.” Asif remarked, “I’m baffled that a country that’s been so welcoming to you could back terrorism against you. Nothing could be more hurtful. And to make it worse, they’re our neighbors, share our religion, and are of the same ethnicity.”
Officials say the Istanbul meeting—the second phase of the Pakistan-Afghanistan understanding reached Oct. 19 in Doha—will focus on creating a “monitoring mechanism” to prevent cross-border terrorism. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has called that framework “a positive first step toward lasting peace and stability in the region,” praising the role of “brotherly nations Qatar and Turkey” for facilitating the process. In a statement, it stated, “Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the meeting will lead to the creation of a system capable of preventing terrorist attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil and ensuring the safety of Pakistani citizens.”
Both neighbors remain locked in a tense cycle of accusations and reprisals along their roughly 1,600-mile frontier, one of the world’s longest and most porous borders. Following multiple days of intense fighting in recent weeks—including reported cross-border shelling and airstrikes—Qatar and Turkey moved to arrange an immediate ceasefire that paved the way for the Istanbul round.
The stakes are high. The escalating conflict has claimed civilian lives, shuttered key crossings, disrupted regional trade, and stoked fears of spillover across South and Central Asia. Islamabad has repeatedly blamed Kabul for failing to curb members of an armed group such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistan says stages attacks from Afghan territory. The Taliban administration rejects those allegations.
