Overview
- Pakistan’s information minister said the Istanbul negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, “failed to bring about any workable solution” after four days.
- Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif warned the Taliban government that any new militant strike in Pakistan would draw a harsh response, escalating rhetoric after the breakdown.
- The Oct. 19 Doha-brokered ceasefire was reported as still holding, while major crossings remained shut for weeks, stranding trucks and disrupting trade as mediators worked to preserve calm.
- Islamabad insisted on written, verifiable guarantees that Afghan territory would not host the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, alleging Taliban negotiators repeatedly backtracked on commitments.
- Afghan sources quoted by TOLO and other outlets said Kabul sought an end to Pakistani airspace violations and U.S. drone activity; TOLO also reported Pakistan acknowledged a foreign pact permitting drone strikes, a claim not independently confirmed.