The third round Pak-Afghan talks commenced in Istanbul on Thursday, 6 November 2025. Pakistan and Afghanistan delegations met under Turkiye-Qatar mediation to consolidate a ceasefire and curb cross-border terrorism.
These Pakistan Afghanistan third round bilateral talks matter deeply for South Asia. Militant attacks from Afghan soil have killed hundreds in Pakistan this year. Border clashes threaten trade routes and refugee flows. A breakthrough could stabilise the region. Failure risks wider conflict.
Delegations and Mediation in Third Round Pak-Afghan Talks
Pakistan’s team arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday evening. Lieutenant General Asim Malik, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence, leads the delegation. Senior military, intelligence, and Foreign Office officials accompany him.
Afghanistan’s seven-member team is headed by Abdul Haq Wasiq, chief of the General Directorate of Intelligence. Members include Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, spokesman Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, Qahar Balkhi, Zakir Jalali, and the chargé d’affaires in Ankara.
Turkiye and Qatar jointly mediate the process. The two-day negotiations started Thursday morning.
Core Agenda: Terrorism, Ceasefire, and Verification
Pakistan demands concrete guarantees that Afghan territory will not be used for attacks. Islamabad blames Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for sanctuary across the border.
The third round Pak-Afghan talks will review commitments from the previous round. Parties agreed then to continue the ceasefire and establish a monitoring and verification mechanism.
A joint statement released by the Turkish foreign ministry after the last round said: “all parties have agreed on continuation of ceasefire” and “to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalty on the violating party”.
Thursday’s meeting finalises modalities for that mechanism. It includes penalties for violations.
Pakistan’s military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated: “The Pakistan military and intelligence service have a single-point agenda, the end of terrorism.”
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said before departure: “The delegation has gone today and the negotiations will begin tomorrow morning. Let’s hope Afghanistan makes use of wisdom and peace is restored in the region.”
Pak-Afghan Talks Deportation Border Issues in Focus
Tensions escalated after border clashes last month. Relations hit their lowest since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistan accelerated deportation of Afghan nationals. Over 8,000 were returned via Spin Boldak crossing in one weekend alone.
Islamabad maintains the repatriation targets undocumented migrants. Kabul calls it forced expulsion. Border management remains contentious. Pakistan completed fencing much of the Durand Line. Afghanistan rejects the boundary and accuses Pakistan of violations.
Outcomes Third Round Pak-Afghan Dialogue Could Deliver
Delegates aim to convert the fragile truce into durable peace. Success hinges on Afghan action against TTP. Previous rounds achieved interim agreements through shuttle diplomacy. The current session is seen as decisive. Security officials in Islamabad seek “concrete, verifiable guarantees”. Low expectations prevail in both capitals.
Background
Pakistan initially welcomed the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Ties soured as TTP attacks surged. Over 900 security personnel and civilians died in terrorism incidents in Pakistan during 2024-2025. Many attacks traced to Afghan border areas.
Islamabad launched phase two of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan in October 2025. Hundreds of thousands face deportation. Deadly clashes erupted along Kurram and North Waziristan borders in October. Both sides traded artillery fire. Turkiye and Qatar stepped in with mediation. First round held in Doha. Second produced the ceasefire-monitoring agreement.
What’s Next
The third round Pak-Afghan talks conclude Friday. A joint statement is expected. If monitoring mechanism is activated, military hotlines could reopen. Trade via Torkham and Chaman might resume fully.
Failure may trigger Pakistani kinetic action inside Afghanistan. Islamabad has signalled readiness for unilateral steps.
Regional players watch closely. Stable Pakistan-Afghanistan ties enable China-Pakistan Economic Corridor extension. They also ease Afghan refugee burden on neighbouring states. The third round Pak-Afghan talks thus carry implications far beyond bilateral borders.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, November 6th, 2025
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