Particle.news
Download on the App Store
21 ARTICLES
·
39m ago

Pakistan, Taliban Resume Istanbul Talks to Cement Ceasefire Oversight as Kabul Alleges New Shelling

Mediators from Türkiye plus Qatar press for a verification system to enforce the Doha truce.

Image
People inspect houses and vehicles destroyed during an airstrike, following a temporary ceasefire, amid the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, October 16, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
Taliban security personnel
Afghan refugees board a truck with their belongings as they await deportation at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on October 19, 2025, after cross-border clashes between the two countries

Overview

  • Delegations led by Pakistan’s ISI chief Lt. Gen. Asim Malik and Afghan intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq reconvened in Istanbul to finalize a monitoring and verification mechanism, according to Türkiye’s foreign ministry.
  • Pakistan restated a one-point demand that Afghan territory not be used for attacks on Pakistan, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warning that if negotiations fail, “only war” will follow.
  • Afghan officials told AFP that Pakistani forces fired projectiles into Spin Boldak and hit civilian areas, saying Afghan units withheld retaliation to protect the talks; AFP also reported Pakistan blamed Afghanistan for border fire and called its response measured.
  • The Istanbul session builds on an Oct. 19 ceasefire agreed in Doha after deadly October clashes, with Türkiye and Qatar facilitating efforts to translate the truce into enforceable rules.
  • Previous talks produced agreement in principle to set up monitoring, verification, and penalties for violations, which negotiators are now trying to operationalize on the ground.