Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to hold next round of talks in Istanbul

Delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan will meet for another round of negotiations on October 25 in Istanbul, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on X.

“On October 25, delegations will meet again in Istanbul to discuss detailed issues. We are deeply grateful to our brotherly countries Qatar and Türkiye,” he said, confirming the ceasefire agreement between the two nations, Caliber.Az informs.

Earlier today, October 19, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to establish mechanisms aimed at consolidating lasting peace and stability between the two neighbouring countries following a round of negotiations in Doha, which was mediated by Qatar and Türkiye.

For the record, the Doha meeting comes amid renewed border clashes and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have strained bilateral relations in recent months. 

The clashes erupted on October 11 after Afghan forces fired on Pakistani posts, prompting a robust defence that inflicted heavy losses on the attackers; Islamabad reported eliminating over 200 Taliban fighters and "associated terrorists" while confirming 23 of its own soldiers killed and several wounded. Additional skirmishes on October 15, including Pakistani airstrikes on militant hideouts in Afghan provinces like Kandahar and Helmand, resulted in further casualties, with Pakistan acknowledging four civilian injuries on its side from crossfire, according to Pakistani military statements.

Pakistan attributes the escalation to the Taliban's failure to curb Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operations from Afghan soil, citing over 600 TTP attacks in 2025 alone that have killed hundreds of Pakistani troops and civilians.

By Khagan Isayev