At the weekly media briefing on October 17, 2025, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan had presented its case to the mediators “in a comprehensive, evidence-based and logical manner.”
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The two-day negotiations, held under restricted media access at Istanbul’s Conrad Hotel, are the third round of engagement between Islamabad and Kabul following deadly border clashes last month. Intelligence chiefs from both countries are leading their sides, with talks aimed at establishing a framework for monitoring and verifying counterterrorism commitments.
Read: Marathon Istanbul talks seek to break deadlock
“The Pakistan delegation has handed over its evidence-based, justified, and logical demands to the mediators with a singular aim to put an end to cross-border terrorism,” Andrabi said.
“The mediators fully endorsed Pakistan’s stance on the basis of evidence provided by our side, as well as the tenets of international law and principles.”
He added that mediators were discussing Pakistan’s demands point by point with the Afghan delegation. Sources described progress as “encouraging,” though agreement on verifiable enforcement against terrorist groups remains elusive, and officials said the talks could be extended if required.
Border clashes and previous rounds of talks
The current round follows weeks of shuttle diplomacy after border clashes between October 11 and 15, which brought relations to their lowest point since the Taliban seized power in 2021. Hostilities began when militants reportedly attacked Pakistan from Afghanistan on October 11, following Taliban allegations of Pakistani airstrikes into Afghan territory.
After the initial skirmish, multiple clashes occurred along the border, including strikes on camps in Afghanistan. A 48-hour ceasefire was agreed on October 15, paving the way for dialogue. During a brief exchange of fire at the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing, two people, including a woman, were killed, testing the shaky truce.
Pakistan had pressed the Afghan Taliban to disassociate from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and take concrete action against anti-Pakistan elements operating from Afghan territory.
Islamabad has sought a clear decree from Kabul, explicitly committing to distance itself from the TTP. Mediators are reportedly working to achieve a balanced understanding, with potential areas of convergence including counterterrorism cooperation and border security protocols, though mistrust and Kabul’s ambiguous stance on the TTP continue to pose challenges.
Read More: Make or break talks: Pakistan, Afghan Taliban to meet in Istanbul today
Since the clashes, Pakistan and Afghan Taliban representatives have held two previous rounds of talks — first in Doha and then in Istanbul. While temporary ceasefires held, no final agreement has been reached.
After the second round, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar tweeted on October 29 that the talks “failed to bring about any workable solution,” adding that Pakistan would continue to protect its citizens from terrorism.
Mediators from Turkey and Qatar intervened, issuing a joint statement on October 31, saying that “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided” during a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6. Delegations arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday for the third round, which began yesterday, surviving the brief cross-border flare-up.
In an earlier briefing, the Foreign Office rejected remarks by the Afghan interim foreign minister during his visit to India, calling them an attempt to divert attention from terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil. The spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan’s border operations in October were defensive, targeting militant infrastructure only, and noted that the 48-hour ceasefire from October 15 had allowed space for dialogue.
The FO also criticised references to Jammu and Kashmir in the India–Afghanistan joint statement of October 10, calling them “a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and an affront to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people.” The spokesperson reminded that Pakistan has hosted nearly four million Afghan refugees for decades, while reaffirming its vision for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.