Afghanistan and Pakistan have restarted peace talks in Istanbul, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The discussions, facilitated by mediators from Turkey and Qatar, mark a renewed attempt to ease escalating tensions along the shared border — just days after Islamabad declared earlier rounds of dialogue had collapsed.
The talks aim to prevent further cross-border clashes that have claimed dozens of lives in recent weeks. A senior Pakistani security official said Islamabad is urging Kabul to take firm action against Islamist groups allegedly using Afghan territory to stage attacks inside Pakistan. Afghan officials, however, reject the accusations, arguing that the Pakistani Taliban operates independently and beyond their control.
In Kabul, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani responded by calling on Pakistan to focus on its own domestic security challenges instead of fueling hostilities. Haqqani warned that continued escalation would “cost them dearly,” signaling the fragile state of relations between the two neighbors.
The renewed dialogue comes as Pakistan announced it had killed a deputy leader of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border, describing it as a significant success in its counterinsurgency efforts.
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