Overview
- Information minister Attaullah Tarar said four days of Qatar- and Türkiye-brokered negotiations in Istanbul produced no workable solution and that Pakistan will take measures to protect its people.
- Both sides traded blame for the failure, with Pakistani officials citing Kabul’s refusal to commit to reining in the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Taliban delegates saying they lack control over the group.
- Afghan and regional outlets reported that Pakistan acknowledged an agreement with a foreign country permitting drone strikes into Afghanistan, and that Islamabad sought recognition of a right to strike TTP targets across the border.
- The Oct. 19 Doha ceasefire remains in effect, though Pakistan’s military reported weekend skirmishes that left five soldiers and 25 fighters dead, and border crossings have stayed closed for more than two weeks, stranding hundreds of trucks.
- Turkish and Qatari mediators are working to preserve the truce as Islamabad warns of continued operations against militants and Afghan officials vow to respond to any new attacks.