Overview
- Three Qatar- and Türkiye-mediated rounds, concluding in Istanbul on November 7, ended without a verification mechanism, leaving diplomacy on hold and the ceasefire tenuous.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office said trade and transit will remain suspended until militant sanctuaries on Afghan soil are dismantled and reiterated it will not negotiate with TTP or BLA.
- Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi accused Pakistan of airspace violations and bombings, rejected a demand to guarantee no security incidents in Pakistan, and warned Kabul would defend its sovereignty.
- Islamabad linked recent attacks in Wana and at an Islamabad judicial complex to Afghan elements, with authorities reporting the arrest of four suspects tied to the capital blast.
- Month-long closures of all eight border crossings have caused severe economic and humanitarian strain, as Taliban deputy prime minister Mullah Baradar urged Afghan traders to shift commerce away from Pakistan within three months.