Pakistan returns to negotiation table with Afghanistan after threat to ‘obliterate’ Taliban: Why the talks may fail again

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, center right, and Afghan Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob sign a ceasefire agreement in Doha, Qatar, Sunday, October 19, 2025.(Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Just a day after peace talks were declared to have failed, Pakistan and Afghanistan have quietly resumed negotiations in Istanbul, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The move comes under pressure from mediators Turkey and Qatar, who are trying to prevent another outbreak of deadly cross-border violence.

The latest round of talks comes at a volatile moment. Only a day earlier, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had publicly threatened to “obliterate” the Taliban government in Kabul, a statement that has been widely criticised for undermining diplomatic efforts.

According to three of the four sources cited by Reuters, Turkey and Qatar intervened after the collapse of the earlier round, hoping to contain tensions that have already killed dozens this month along the Afghan-Pakistani border.

A Pakistani security official confirmed that Islamabad intends to maintain its core demand: that Afghanistan take action against Islamist militants using Afghan territory to stage attacks on Pakistan. However, observers note that Islamabad’s own history of nurturing and sheltering militant groups weakens its credibility in such accusations.

“Most of the issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been resolved successfully and peacefully. A few demands from Pakistan need some extra time as they are difficult to be agreed upon,” a source close to the Afghan Taliban delegation told Reuters.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harbouring the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been waging attacks on Pakistani security forces. Kabul has consistently rejected these claims, insisting it has no control over the TTP and blaming Pakistan’s internal policies for its own instability.

In Kabul, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani hit back at Islamabad, urging it to focus on its internal security crisis instead of provoking conflict. “Attempts to provoke conflict would cost them dearly,” he warned in a video message, adding that Afghanistan “seeks peaceful engagement” but will defend itself if attacked.

The renewed dialogue follows some of the worst border clashes since the Taliban seized power in 2021. Over 70 people have been killed this month, and hundreds injured, after Pakistani airstrikes reportedly targeted TTP positions inside Afghanistan. The strikes triggered retaliatory attacks on Pakistani posts, forcing the closure of the 2,600-kilometre frontier.

Earlier this month, both sides had agreed to a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but the truce quickly unravelled during the second round of talks in Istanbul. Despite repeated calls for calm, violence has persisted, with new attacks reported along the border this week.

On Thursday, Islamabad announced that it had killed Qari Amjad, a senior deputy leader of the TTP and a designated terrorist by the United States, in what it called a cross-border operation. The claim, however, could further inflame tensions with Kabul, which has previously accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty through such strikes.

The Taliban government has yet to officially confirm Amjad’s death, but Afghan officials privately warn that Pakistan’s “aggressive posture” could derail all efforts for a peaceful resolution.