The four-day negotiations between Pakistan and Taliban-led Afghanistan in Istanbul, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, ended without any agreement, exposing deep fissures in a relationship already strained by war, air strikes, and drone attacks.
The talks, seen as crucial for sustaining a fragile ceasefire along the volatile border, fell apart after Islamabad’s delegation refused to accept conditions set by Kabul. Afghan officials demanded Pakistan halt violations of Afghan airspace and prevent U.S. drone operations launched from its soil. But Pakistan reportedly said it could not stop the drone flights, citing an existing agreement with Washington.
Pakistan’s hidden deal with the U.S.
According to TOLO News, Pakistan admitted during the Istanbul negotiations that it had an agreement with a “foreign country,” later revealed as the United States, permitting drone operations inside Afghanistan. Afghan negotiators said they would only commit to preventing attacks on Pakistan if Islamabad stopped allowing such operations. Pakistan’s refusal caused the talks to collapse.
“Pakistan acknowledged during these negotiations that it has an agreement with the United States allowing drone strikes and claimed it cannot break that agreement,” TOLO News reported on 28 October.
Mediators from Qatar and Turkey were reportedly “surprised” after Pakistan reversed its stance following a call from military leadership.
Blame game and political posturing
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, however, sought to shift blame to Kabul — and India. “The people in Kabul pulling the strings and staging the puppet show are being controlled by Delhi,” he told Geo News, alleging that Indian influence had sabotaged the negotiations.
Asif’s fiery remarks went further, threatening a repeat of the 2001 Tora Bora offensive: “Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime. If they wish so, the repeat of Tora Bora would be a spectacle to watch.”
Analysts say such rhetoric underscores Pakistan’s frustration but also its diplomatic isolation. “The irony is glaring — Pakistan, once a victim of U.S. drone wars, is now admitting to facilitating them,” Kabul-based journalist Ali M. Latifi posted on X.
A phone call that changed everything
According to an India Today report, the phone call that reportedly altered Pakistan’s stance appears to reflect Islamabad’s constraints under its renewed strategic alignment with Washington. Under President Donald Trump, Pakistan has sought to strengthen defence cooperation with the U.S. — symbolised by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s urgent visit to the Oval Office with Army Chief Asim Munir in attendance.
Trump has publicly pressed for the return of the U.S.-built Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, warning that “bad things would happen” if America did not regain it. Islamabad’s inability to prevent U.S. drone operations likely stems from this deepened security cooperation.
Taliban’s conditional willingness
The Taliban government, meanwhile, has maintained that it will only act against militant groups attacking Pakistan if Islamabad respects Afghan sovereignty. “We will not tolerate Pakistan’s air violations,” an Afghan official was quoted as saying.
North of the Durand Line, a colonial border Afghans refuse to recognise, the atmosphere remains tense. The recent border war that erupted in September, triggered by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks, left more than 200 dead after Pakistan launched air and drone strikes inside Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed dozens of civilian casualties in Kandahar and eastern provinces.
Regional implications
South Korean-style mediation by Qatar and Turkey was meant to build confidence between the two sides, but Islamabad’s admission about U.S. drone involvement torpedoed any progress. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the mediators were “shocked by Pakistan’s turnaround,” and Afghan officials have warned of renewed hostilities if the drone issue remains unresolved.
Beyond the immediate collapse of the talks, the episode has exposed Pakistan’s diminishing autonomy in its foreign policy and its reliance on Washington’s security umbrella. With its economy under severe strain, Islamabad’s willingness to lease territory for foreign military operations is drawing criticism at home and abroad.
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