• Demand comes as two sides seek to firm up truce in Istanbul talks
• Session aimed at operationalising concrete, verifiable security mechanism
• Taliban delegation requests time to study Pakistani demands
• Khawaja Asif warns of ‘open war’ if talks fail

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday presented Afghanistan’s Taliban regime with a comprehensive set of demands aimed at strengthening border security and dismantling terrorist sanctuaries operating from Afghan territory, after the latter failed to provide a verifiable roadmap for action against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The talks, which lasted nearly nine hours, concluded with the Taliban delegation requesting time to study the Pakistani demands.

It remained unclear how long the Taliban would take to review the document or when the two sides might reconvene to resume negotiations, suggesting a sort of deadlock between the two sides over curbing cross-border terrorism despite Turkish and Qatari mediation.

The Turkiye-hosted meeting, which followed the Oct 19 Doha ceasefire that ended week-long deadly border clashes, was aimed at establishing oversight and monitoring tools to prevent cross-border terrorism and restore stability along the frontier.

The talks, which began shortly after midday at Istanbul’s centrally located Conrad Hotel, continued until late in the night. “The discussions are continuing over a working dinner,” a source said about the closely watched dialogue, the outcome of which would determine whether the fragile border calm solidifies into sustained peace or unravels into renewed confrontation.

Officials said the discussions were wide-ranging, focusing on setting up an oversight framework to restrict operational space for the TTP and other terrorist groups with sanctuaries in Afghanistan, while also addressing trade and humanitarian disruptions.

A source said the Pakistani delegation “firmly stuck to the position that Afghanistan’s Taliban administration must clearly and verifiably end all support for the TTP”, adding that Islamabad was “not ready to accept anything less, including offers for relocation of militants or formation of further committees to discuss the issue”.

The Pakistani side based its demand for decisive action against the TTP on the commitment made by the Afghan Taliban to the international community under the Doha Agreement, signed with the United States in February 2020.

That agreement explicitly stipulated that the Taliban would not allow Afghan soil to be used as a sanctuary for terrorist groups to launch attacks against any other country. The pledge was reiterated most recently by the Afghan Taliban during the ceasefire negotiations with Pakistan, which were mediated by Qatar and Turkiye in Doha earlier this month.

Pakistani delegation emphasised that the Afghan Taliban’s failure to curb TTP activities violated the spirit of the 2020 Doha accord.

During the Istanbul talks, the Afghan Taliban delegation was led by Deputy Interior Minister Mawlawi Rahmatullah Najeeb and included senior figures such as Anas Haqqani, Suhail Shaheen, Noorur Rahman Nusrat, Abdul Qahar Balkhi and Noor Ahmad Noor.

Anas Haqqani’s presence drew particular attention. Despite holding no official government position in the Taliban administration, he often represents his brother, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, in sensitive talks.

Anas has emerged as an influential figure within the Taliban power structure due to his family’s legacy. The Haqqani faction, which controls Kabul’s internal security and maintains ties with several Afghanistan-based militant networks, is often described by analysts as the Taliban’s “deep state”.

Pakistan’s delegation comprised senior security and intelligence officials, including representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Directorate of Military Operations and the Foreign Office.

There was secrecy around the team’s composition, with earlier reports naming Director General Military Operations Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah as head of the delegation. The claim was later denied by an official speaking on background.

The Istanbul session sought to build on the Qatar-mediated ceasefire that has largely held despite sporadic tensions.

Pakistani officials noted ahead of the talks that there had been no major cross-border attacks in recent days. However, almost coinciding with the start of the talks, Pakistani forces in Spinwam (North Waziristan) intercepted an infiltration attempt by 16 TTP terrorists. In the ensuing clash, eight terrorists were reportedly killed, while a number of Pakistani soldiers were martyred.

The incident reinforced Islamabad’s demand for verifiable guarantees that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s top priority at the talks remained securing an unambiguous commitment from Kabul to dismantle TTP sanctuaries and halt cross-border attacks. The Afghan side, meanwhile, sought assurances that Pakistan would ease trade and humanitarian restrictions resulting from prolonged border closures.

‘Open war’

Meanwhile, as talks were underway, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that failure to reach an understanding could lead to “open war”.

“Afghanistan wants peace,” Mr Asif said, “but if we fail to reach an agreement in Istanbul, it will mean open war.”

Mr Asif, who led Pakistan’s delegation during the Doha round that produced the current truce, said Islamabad expects “verifiable guarantees” from Kabul to ensure terrorist sanctuaries are dismantled and cross-border peace is sustained.

Turkiye hosted the talks as part of its extended mediation role, while Qatar acted as guarantor of the ceasefire and facilitator for continued dialogue.

The Istanbul meeting represented a critical test of whether the Taliban administration is willing to take concrete action against groups such as the TTP.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2025