Major breakthrough! Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to maintain ceasefire after Istanbul peace talks, Turkey makes BIG announcement, says ‘all parties…’
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a separate statement shortly before midnight in Istanbul confirming the conclusion of the talks and saying both sides had agreed to continue discussions in future meetings.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey announced on Thursday. The agreement came after earlier negotiations between the two sides had fallen apart. The two neighbours recently experienced their worst military tensions since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. This month’s deadly border clashes led to Pakistani airstrikes, Afghan retaliation, and the closure of key trade and transit crossings, according to Reuters.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said, “Afghanistan, Pakistan, Türkiye and Qatar held meetings in Istanbul from October 25 to 30, 2025, to strengthen the ceasefire that Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to in Doha on October 18–19, with Türkiye and Qatar as mediators. All parties have agreed to continue the ceasefire.”
The ministry added that another meeting will take place in Istanbul on November 6 to plan how the ceasefire will be carried out. Turkey and Qatar also reaffirmed their willingness to keep supporting both countries in achieving lasting peace and stability.
Joint Statement on the Talks Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Through the Mediation of Türkiye and Qatar https://t.co/y1SH30i88Q pic.twitter.com/wH4GW3SC9k
— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) October 30, 2025
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a separate statement late Thursday confirming the end of the talks. He said both sides agreed to continue discussions in the coming meetings and added that Afghanistan wants peaceful relations with Pakistan “based on mutual respect and non-interference.”
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan rose earlier this month after a series of explosions in Kabul, which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistani airstrikes. Afghan officials said they responded by attacking Pakistani positions, claiming 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed. Pakistan, however, reported 23 deaths and said its strikes had targeted militant hideouts inside Afghanistan.
The violence led Qatar to host urgent peace talks, which produced a temporary ceasefire on October 19. Later, four days of discussions in Istanbul failed to reach an agreement on Tuesday, but Turkey and Qatar eventually persuaded both sides to return to negotiations.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, told tribal elders in Peshawar that Pakistan wanted peaceful relations with all its neighbours, including Afghanistan. However, he warned that Pakistan “will not tolerate cross-border terrorism from Afghan soil.”
While a ceasefire remains in place, the border between the two countries has been closed for more than two weeks, leading to mounting losses for traders in the region.
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