Istanbul/ Islamabad — The scent of Turkish coffee and the steady drizzle over Bosphorus cafés could not mask the chill that settled over the diplomatic tables this week.
As peace talks between Kabul and Islamabad quietly unfold in Istanbul under the drizzle of Turkish autumn, a parallel information war is raging online, one that pits Afghan General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI)-linked accounts against Türkiye and its intelligence leadership.
What began as routine discussions over cross-border security has now been overshadowed by a coordinated digital campaign targeting Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Chief, İbrahim Kalın, accusing Ankara of meddling in Afghan affairs while conveniently omitting the Taliban’s own protection of extremist factions.
The GDI’s Disinformation Offensive
According to Talha Ahmad, a freelance journalist and counterterrorism analyst, Afghan intelligence-linked social media accounts have been “carrying out a coordinated campaign against Türkiye, spinning the entry of Turkish intel chief İbrahim Kalın while concealing their disinformation about BLA, ISKP, and TTP.”
The disinformation surge came shortly after Zabiullah Mujahid’s press conference on recent Pak-Afghan border clashes, during which the Taliban spokesperson attempted to pin ISKP activities on Pakistan. Analysts see this as a “counter-punch” to Islamabad’s consistent narrative exposing the TTP’s safe haven within Afghanistan.
As Talha puts it, “The move came as a counter punch against the solid narrative of Pakistan on the presence of TTP and affiliated groups on Afghan soil.”
Turkish Intelligence Chief’s Entry and the Regional Undercurrent
Ahmad explains that Kalın’s unexpected presence during the Doha phase of the talks, later shifting to Istanbul, was far from coincidence.
“The presence of the Turkish Intelligence Chief aligns with Turkiye’s strategic role in mediating conflicts across different regions. However, this is not the only reason — Turkiye has direct security interests linked to the AF-Pak region vis-à-vis ISKP and BLA.”
The MIT’s involvement, he continues, represents Türkiye’s growing stake in regional stability and counterterrorism, particularly in curbing ISKP networks operating across Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Joint Counterterrorism Operations: Türkiye and Pakistan’s Track Record
Over the past two years, Türkiye and Pakistan have quietly forged one of the most effective regional counterterrorism partnerships against ISKP and affiliated networks operating across the Af-Pak corridor. Their intelligence cooperation has not only disrupted high-profile plots but also demonstrated the depth of mutual trust between Ankara’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
In 2022, Turkish intelligence foiled a major terrorist attack targeting the Swedish and Dutch embassies in Istanbul, arresting Abdulmuasır Gulboev, then known as the “Emir of Türkiye” for ISKP. The attack had been ordered by ISKP commander Abu Munzir, who was operating out of the Af-Pak region.
Following this, Turkish security agencies carried out a wide-ranging crackdown, during which they arrested a Tajik-origin ISKP operative. During interrogation, he confessed to involvement in the 2022 bombing of Masjid Asna-e-Ashri in Peshawar, Pakistan, one of the deadliest sectarian attacks of that year.
Earlier this year, Pakistan launched a series of intelligence-based operations across the Af-Pak region, arresting several high-profile ISKP figures, including Abu Munzir (linked to the Crocus City attack in Russia), Sharifullah (the Kabul Abbey Gate bomber), and Adil Panjsheri, also known as Arif Adil, implicated in the Kerman attack in Iran.
In a remarkable display of international cooperation, Pakistan handed over Abu Munzir to Russia’s FSB, Sharifullah to the United States FBI, a move later acknowledged by former President Donald Trump, and Adil Panjsheri to Iranian authorities.
In another joint MIT-ISI operation along the Afghan-Pakistan border, the two agencies arrested Özgür Altun, better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Yasir Al-Turki, a senior Turkish ISKP operative responsible for logistics and the cross-border movement of fighters. This operation underlined the depth of intelligence-sharing between Türkiye and Pakistan, as well as their joint determination to neutralize ISKP’s transnational networks.
“These instances show Pakistan’s commitment to curbing terrorism, whether it’s in the form of TTP, BLA, or ISKP,” observed Talha Ahmad, who has closely followed these developments.
Istanbul Talks Collapse After Four Days
After four days of mediation, the Istanbul peace talks between Pakistan and the interim Afghan authorities have ended without a workable outcome, officials confirmed to HTN.
Sources privy to the negotiations said Pakistan’s delegation pressed for “firm assurances on cross-border security and the fulfilment of earlier Doha commitments.” Despite presenting detailed intelligence during the dialogue, Islamabad received “no clear guarantees or binding commitments” from the Afghan side.
Talha Ahmad’s on-ground reporting paints a vivid picture of the Kabul–Islamabad dialogue; quiet, technical, and far removed from the media spotlight.
“Talks are not being held at the hotel, but in a government building in the area. The nature of the talks is technical, which is why you don’t see on-ground reporting and 24/7 updates.”
Discussions focused on border security, TTP action plans, and proposals for a joint security framework. Pakistan pressed for verifiable commitments and kinetic action against TTP militants, while the Taliban delegation resisted any binding clause that could compromise its autonomy.
“Pakistan proposed the creation of a buffer zone… Taliban agreed to provide generic assurances that Afghan territory would not be used for activities against Pakistan — but declined to sign an agreement with clear obligations of action against TTP.”
The breakdown, Ahmad wrote, highlighted “a fundamental clash in the red lines drawn by Islamabad and Kabul.”
The talks, initially framed as “technical discussions,” were expected to produce a joint security mechanism addressing terrorism, cross-border infiltration, and TTP sanctuaries. However, the Taliban delegation reportedly refused to sign any agreement that would compel kinetic action against the TTP.
According to a senior Pakistani official, the talks “failed to bring about any workable solution,” despite “sufficient and irrefutable evidence” being shared with both the Afghan side and the mediators. The official added that the Afghan delegation “kept deviating from the core issue, evading the key point upon which the dialogue process was initiated.”
In a post shared on X by Atalullah Tara, Pakistan’s position was reiterated in strong terms, stating that “Pakistan has repeatedly engaged with the Afghan Taliban regime regarding persistent cross-border terrorism by Indian-abetted Fitna al Khwarij (TTP) and Indian proxy, Fitna al Hindustan (BLA).” The post further emphasized that “Pakistan’s fervent efforts proved futile due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s unabated support to anti-Pakistan terrorists.”
The statement also noted that “Pakistan engaged with the Afghan Taliban regime, first at Doha and then at Istanbul, on a single point agenda — to prevent the use of Afghan soil as a training and logistics base for terrorist activities in Pakistan.”
Expressing gratitude to Türkiye and Qatar, Islamabad thanked both countries for their “sincere efforts to bring about a peaceful solution,” but made clear that “the security of its people is of paramount importance” and that Pakistan “will continue to take all possible measures necessary to protect our people from the menace of terrorism.”
“The talks have effectively collapsed, highlighting a fundamental clash in the red lines drawn by Islamabad and Kabul,” Ahmad explained. “For Pakistan, the priority remains firm action against the TTP and ensuring Afghan soil is not used for attacks. For the Taliban, it’s about avoiding any step seen as compromising sovereignty.”
While Pakistan remains thankful to its mediating partners, officials now say national security will take “decisive priority” moving forward, a signal that Islamabad’s patience with Kabul’s evasions may have finally run out.
Strategic Undercurrents and Disinformation
The timing of GDI-linked disinformation appears calculated, aiming to deflect international attention from the Taliban’s failure to rein in TTP sanctuaries, while undermining the credibility of Türkiye’s role as a regional mediator, a regional security expert spoke to HTN on condition of anonymity.
“These Afghan accounts are part of a coordinated influence operation. The goal is to fracture the Pakistan-Türkiye partnership — one that has become increasingly effective against ISKP’s transnational network. The GDI is trying to shift blame and control the narrative” he said.
The Endgame
While the Istanbul talks have failed to produce a peace deal, diplomatic manoeuvring continues behind closed doors. For Ankara and Islamabad, the stakes go far beyond bilateral ties, they are engaged in a dual fight against both terror networks and a disinformation ecosystem weaponized to obscure them.
As Ahmad concludes, “The presence of the Turkish intel chief is a testimony that both Pakistan and Türkiye want to establish a joint intel and security mechanism against TTP, as they have already done against ISKP and BLA. But TTA has denied them this opportunity.”
The Istanbul phase of talks may have hit a wall, but the underlying battle, for narrative control, regional credibility, and counter-terror cooperation, continues. As misinformation spreads online, the diplomatic struggle to align regional security interests has only grown more complex.
For now, as the rain keeps falling on Istanbul’s cobblestones, Pakistan and Türkiye remain firm allies in a region still shadowed by groups that thrive in ambiguity, and by those who weaponize disinformation to keep it that way.
The struggle for peace in the Pakistan–Afghanistan region, it seems, no longer ends at the border, it now extends from the mountains to the timelines.
