Overview
- Delegations convened in Istanbul on October 25 in a follow‑up to the Doha talks, with sessions expected to continue into Sunday.
- The Qatar‑ and Türkiye‑brokered ceasefire has largely held, with Pakistan reporting no major attacks from Afghan territory in recent days.
- Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warned that failure to reach an enforceable deal could lead to 'open war,' though he said the Afghan side appears to want peace.
- Border crossings and transit trade remain shut, with Afghan business groups citing heavy daily losses as only refugee departures are being allowed.
- The agenda includes a concrete monitoring and verification mechanism, possible co‑chairing by Türkiye and Qatar, and Pakistani demands for action against the TTP and BLA, which Kabul denies hosting; the Afghan team is led by Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib.