Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime set to hold the second round of bilateral talks in Istanbul today (Saturday) aimed at finalising a post-ceasefire mechanism to monitor cross-border terrorism.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that no major terrorist attack has occurred from Afghan soil in the past few days, terming the development a “positive outcome” of the Doha agreement reached earlier this week.

At his first weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the ceasefire agreed in Doha “has largely held,” adding that “no major terrorist attack from Afghan soil has taken place in Pakistan in the last two to three days.”

“In fact, the Doha talks have been fruitful. We would like this trend to continue in Istanbul and beyond,” he stated.

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Andrabi reiterated that Pakistan’s core expectation remains unchanged — Afghan territory must not be used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

He confirmed that the Doha ceasefire was finalized following delegation-level discussions led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, which focused on eliminating cross-border terrorism and ensuring long-term border peace.

Transit trade to stay suspended

The spokesperson further announced that Afghan transit trade remains closed and will continue to stay suspended “until the security situation is reviewed.”

“Armed attacks were carried out against Pakistan at border points linked to Afghan transit trade. Pakistanis were killed in these attacks. For us, the lives of our citizens are more important than any trade,” Andrabi said, emphasizing that national security takes precedence over commercial activity.

Istanbul talks to finalise monitoring mechanism

The Istanbul round, hosted by Türkiye, aims to finalise a monitoring framework to oversee implementation of the ceasefire and prevent future violations.

While Andrabi did not confirm who will lead the Pakistani delegation, he said Islamabad will attend “with sincerity of purpose and intention.”

He added, “We are participating in the Istanbul talks with all honesty. Our only demand from Afghanistan is that their soil must not be used against us.”

Afghan side’s position

Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Istanbul meeting would discuss “maintaining the ceasefire and establishing a reliable and verifiable system to monitor it.”

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, in its recent statements, blamed Pakistan for bilateral tensions but simultaneously highlighted welcoming responses from the UK and China regarding the ceasefire.

According to Afghan media, British Special Envoy Richard Lindsay and China’s envoy Yu Xiaoying both urged continued efforts toward a permanent ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul.

Dam dispute

Responding to a query about the Taliban’s reported plan to build a dam on the Kunar River, Andrabi said Pakistan was reviewing the issue under international water laws. “Pakistan is both an upstream and downstream territory. We will follow the matter accordingly,” he said.

The spokesperson also mentioned that Polish Foreign Minister visited Islamabad this week, during which two memorandums of understanding were signed. Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian cause, noting that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued its fourth advisory opinion against Israel since January 2024.

He added that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held diplomatic engagements with the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, reflecting Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic outreach amid regional instability.