Overview
- Information minister Attaullah Tarar said the four-day session in Istanbul ended without a workable solution, with both sides now publicly blaming each other.
- Pakistan pressed for concrete, verifiable action against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, while Afghan representatives were reported as unwilling or saying they lacked control over the group.
- The Oct. 19 Doha ceasefire remains in place despite sporadic skirmishes, and Pakistan’s military reported five soldiers and 25 militants killed near the border over the weekend.
- Afghan media reported Pakistan acknowledged a secret agreement allowing drone strikes by a foreign power, a contested claim that has not been independently verified but complicated talks.
- Trade crossings remain closed and tensions are elevated, with Pakistan’s defence minister earlier warning of the prospect of “open war” if diplomacy failed.