Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to restart peace talks in Istanbul

30/10/2025 17:56

Afghanistan and Pakistan will restart peace talks in Istanbul, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday, a day after Islamabad said the discussions had ended in failure.



Two of the sources said the nations had agreed to recommence talks at the request of host nation Turkey. Negotiation teams from both countries are currently in Istanbul, two of the sources said, to ensure they do not resume border clashes that have killed dozens this month.



One of the sources, a Pakistani security official, said Islamabad will press its central demand at the talks: that Afghanistan take action against militants using its territory as a safe haven and to plan attacks on Pakistani soil.



Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group hostile to Pakistan, allowing them to launch attacks from Afghanistan against Pakistani troops. Kabul denies this, saying it has no control over the group.