【Text by Observers Network, Chen Sijia】On October 25 local time, Pakistan and Afghanistan held the second round of talks on ceasefire-related issues in Turkey. According to a report by Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Pakistan's patience was running out, and if the talks held in Turkey failed to reach an agreement, the two countries would fall into "open war".
The report cited sources saying that the focus of the talks was to discuss establishing a monitoring framework to limit the activities of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and other terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan. The Afghan side also sought to address issues caused by the closure of the border, including trade and humanitarian disruptions. A source said the outcome of the dialogue would determine whether the border between the two countries could remain peaceful.
Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to curb the activities of the TTP and other terrorist organizations. Sources said the Pakistani delegation demanded the Afghan Taliban government to "clearly and verifiably stop all support for the TTP", adding, "We will not accept anything below this standard, including moving militants or setting up more committees to discuss the issue."
Before the talks began, Pakistani officials said there had been no major cross-border attacks in recent days. However, just as the talks were about to start, the military in North Waziristan intercepted 16 TTP militants attempting to infiltrate, resulting in eight militants being killed in the firefight, with several Pakistani soldiers also losing their lives.
Dawn reported that this incident further strengthened Pakistan's position, demanding that the Afghan government ensure its territory is not used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defence Minister Asif made a televised speech, stating, "Afghanistan wants peace. But if we fail to reach an agreement in Istanbul, it will mean open war." Asif said Pakistan hopes the Afghan government can provide "verifiable guarantees" to ensure the removal of militant strongholds and maintain border peace.
Photo: Pakistan's Defence Minister Asif IC photo
Dawn revealed that the Pakistani negotiation team consisted of senior security and intelligence officials, while the Afghan negotiation team was led by Deputy Interior Minister Najib.
Afghan Dawn News reported on the 26th, citing sources who said that on the second day of the talks, both sides were striving to reach a final agreement. Sources disclosed that the Afghan delegation had submitted a draft to Pakistan, requesting that Pakistan avoid infringing on Afghan airspace and land borders and prevent opposition forces from using Pakistani territory to launch actions against Afghanistan.
Additionally, sources told Dawn News that a four-party channel was being prepared to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. This channel would assess violations and promote information exchange between the two sides.
In recent times, armed conflicts have frequently occurred in the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. This is the most severe violent incident between the two countries since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. On October 15, the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan separately issued statements announcing a temporary 48-hour ceasefire.
On October 18, under the mediation of Qatar and Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan held talks in Doha, Qatar, where both sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to establish mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries. Pakistani and Afghan government officials confirmed on October 19 that both sides had reached a ceasefire agreement.
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