Pakistan and Afghanistan exchange fire as peace talks begin in Istanbul

Pakistan and Afghanistan exchange fire as peace talks begin in Istanbul

As officials of Pakistan and Afghanistan held talks in Turkiye to find a lasting solution to the cross-border militancy, their forces traded fire, testing the fragile peace between the two sides.

The talks began in Istanbul to defuse tension between Islamabad and Kabul that erupted in an open border conflict last month.

Both sides reported human losses during the clashes from October 11-15, which were brought under control after a temporary ceasefire that was extended and is still holding.

However, it came under strain on Thursday (November 6, 2025) after a fire exchange for which the two sides blamed each other, but the situation was brought under control. “We strongly reject claims circulated by the Afghan side regarding today's incident at the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman,” Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a statement.

“Firing was initiated from the Afghan side, to which our security forces responded immediately in a measured and responsible manner. The situation was brought under control due to responsible action by Pakistani forces and the ceasefire remains intact,” it said.

The ministry also said that “Pakistan remains committed to ongoing dialogue and expects reciprocity from Afghan authorities.” Meanwhile, Pakistan and Afghan Taliban officials resumed talks on Thursday, aiming to tackle the issue of cross-border terrorism and avoid further escalation between the two sides.

There were no reports of casualties, and spokespeople for both sides said they remained committed to a ceasefire and continued dialogue in Istanbul.

Militaries from the South Asian neighbours previously clashed last month, with dozens killed in the worst such violence since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last week ended without a long-term deal, due to a disagreement over militant groups hostile to Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan.

The third round was planned to last for two days and was arranged after the two sides failed to agree on the contentious issues during the two rounds of talks held on October 19 in Doha and October 25 in Istanbul.

For the third round, Pakistan's delegation is being led by Lt Gen Asim Malik, Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence and national security advisor, and includes senior officials from the military, intelligence agencies, and the Foreign Office.

The Afghan Taliban's delegation, meanwhile, includes General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) chief Abdul Haq Waseq, Deputy Interior Minister Rehmatullah Najib, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, Qahar Balkhi, Zakir Jalali and Afghanistan's chargé d'affaires in Ankara.

So far no details have been shared by any side about the talks but sources said that talks were held in “good atmosphere” and could be extended if needed.

"We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday (November 5). He said Islamabad was pursuing a "one-point agenda" of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban's knowledge.

Pakistan and the Taliban had for decades enjoyed warm ties, but relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group that has clashed repeatedly with the Pakistani military. Kabul denies this, saying it has no control over the group.

The October clashes began after Pakistani airstrikes earlier in the month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, among other locations, targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.

The Afghan Taliban administration responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the border, which remains closed to trade.

While the ceasefire between the two nations' militaries had held until Thursday's exchanges, clashes have continued between the Pakistani military and the Pakistani Taliban throughout the period, with multiple deaths reported on both sides.

Inputs from Reuters, PTI

Published - November 07, 2025 12:26 am IST

Afghanistan / Pakistan / unrest, conflicts and war

Source: The Hindu
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