The Shehbaz Sharif Thanks Turkiye for Facilitating Pakistan-Afghan Talks in Istanbul as the latest round of peace dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul resumed on Thursday in the Turkish city. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to Ankara for playing an active and constructive role in mediating the discussions aimed at restoring stability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The renewed talks come after the previous round concluded without achieving a lasting truce. However, with Turkiye and Qatar acting as mediators, all sides have now agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism designed to maintain peace and impose penalties on any party violating the agreement.
Tensions between the two countries escalated last month when Pakistan responded to cross-border aggression from the Taliban regime and affiliated terrorist groups operating inside Afghanistan. Pakistani security forces carried out precision strikes targeting militant centers and claimed to have eliminated over 400 fighters, including members of the Afghan Taliban and other extremist outfits.
Both sides had previously signed a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but the second round of talks in Istanbul last week ended without progress due to disagreements over the presence of anti-Pakistan militant groups within Afghan territory.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking earlier this week, said Pakistan remained hopeful about meaningful progress in the dialogue but warned that continued deadlock would render the talks “a waste of time.”
In a related development, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday. The premier once again thanked Turkiye for its support in peace efforts and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism and anti-narcotics operations.
During the meeting, Yerlikaya emphasized enhanced collaboration between law enforcement agencies and improved intelligence sharing between both nations. Earlier, he also held discussions with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on joint efforts related to border security, counterterrorism, anti-narcotics, cybercrime, and human trafficking prevention.
Shehbaz Sharif Thanks Turkiye for Facilitating Pakistan-Afghan Talks in Istanbul highlights Islamabad’s ongoing diplomatic and security engagement with regional partners to ensure stability and peace in the region.