The third round of Pakistan–Afghanistan talks in Istanbul concluded without a written agreement after both sides failed to bridge deep differences over monitoring and prevention mechanisms for cross-border militancy, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, adding that the process has now entered an indefinite pause. A fragile ceasefire remains in place for the moment, but Islamabad warned it will respond decisively to any violation.
The talks, convened to finalise verification and monitoring procedures following deadly border clashes in early October, ran for two days. Pakistan’s delegation was led by Director General Inter-Services Intelligence, Lieutenant General Asim Malik, and included senior military, intelligence and foreign ministry officials. The Afghan delegation was headed by Director General of Intelligence Abdul Haq Wasiq and included Suhail Shaheen, Ans Haqqani and Deputy Interior Minister Rahmatullah Najib.
According to media reports and officials present, Pakistani negotiators said the Afghan team arrived in Istanbul without a concrete program and was not prepared to sign a written accord. Senior security sources and mediators described negotiations as stalled and approaching an impasse. After sessions failed to produce a final understanding, members of the Pakistani delegation departed the hotel for the airport; no direct, face-to-face meeting between the two delegations was held following the breakdown, although the previous day mediators from Qatar and Turkey facilitated a face-to-face exchange.
Throughout the process, third-party mediators Turkey and Qatar conducted separate meetings and shuttled between the parties. Mediators spent much of Friday holding separate consultations with the Afghan delegation to convey Pakistan’s concerns and evidence. Islamabad maintained that it presented a comprehensive, evidence-based case focused on one central demand: an end to attacks emanating from Afghan territory. The Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Hussain Inderabi told journalists that Pakistan’s position had been set out point by point to the mediators.
Afghan negotiators, for their part, described their proposals as logical and readily implementable, while characterising Islamabad’s demands as unrealistic and aggressive; they suggested that Pakistan’s next steps would depend on its own strategic choices. Sources at the Conrad Istanbul hotel, where talks took place, described the late-night atmosphere as unpromising.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and other Pakistani officials emphasised that, despite the current pause, the fragile cessation of hostilities remains in effect; however, they warned that any breach of the ceasefire by the other side would be met with a robust response. Minister of Information Ataullah Tarar reiterated that responsibility lies with Afghanistan to fulfil its long-standing international, regional and bilateral obligations to control terrorism originating from its soil, and said Pakistan would employ all necessary options to protect its citizens and sovereignty.
Background: The negotiation process began after deadly border exchanges in early October that claimed military and civilian lives on both sides. The first round, held in Doha, produced agreement on a tenuous ceasefire. A subsequent Doha session resulted in general consensus on establishing monitoring mechanisms and a decision to continue dialogue. The Istanbul round aimed to finalise those verification and monitoring procedures but failed to reach a conclusive arrangement.
Next steps: Pakistani officials have not ruled out a future resumption of talks. Some senior Pakistani officials remain in Istanbul to consult with mediators and explore options to break the impasse. Islamabad has made clear that its primary objective is the verifiable cessation of cross-border attacks; any diplomatic track will be evaluated against that standard.
