On the third day of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul, discussions fluctuated between hope and frustration as both sides remained divided over how to tackle cross-border terrorism. By late Monday evening, officials confirmed that no final agreement had yet been reached.
Sources familiar with the closed-door negotiations said that although “both sides have agreed on most points,” the main hurdle remains the verification mechanism for taking action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
“We had hoped to sign a joint document with Afghanistan soon, followed by a joint statement, but that still seems out of reach,” one source said.
According to participants, the day began on a positive note, with both delegations appreciating the “encouraging progress” and “serious discussions.” However, as talks stretched into the evening, optimism began to fade. One source admitted that the mood in the room grew increasingly tense and marked by frustration.
By late night, it appeared that the process had once again hit a stalemate. Participants said that the Afghan Taliban delegation remained unwilling to provide any written or verifiable assurances that they would end their support for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
A Pakistani official told Dawn News that while the host nations understood Pakistan’s concerns, “those in Kabul and Kandahar are not ready to make binding commitments.”
Pakistan’s position has remained consistent from the start — that the Taliban must end all support for the TTP and ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against Pakistan.
Despite the deadlock, mediators from Türkiye and Qatar stressed that it was important to keep the dialogue going and not let the process fail. According to Dawn News, one mediator said, “Although there has been no major breakthrough, the fact that both sides have engaged continuously for three days shows that neither wants to end the process.”
According to the latest reports, negotiators in Istanbul are now considering whether to extend the talks for a fourth day.
