Islamabad – Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to establish a joint monitoring and verification mechanism to maintain the ceasefire and impose penalties on any violating party, a key outcome of the Istanbul peace talks mediated by Türkiye and Qatar.
The negotiations, held in Istanbul from October 25 to 30, aimed to consolidate the Doha ceasefire agreement reached earlier on October 18–19, 2025, between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime.
Talks initially faced a deadlock over Pakistan’s demand for verifiable counterterror action against groups operating from Afghan soil. The breakthrough came after Türkiye and Qatar intervened to salvage the dialogue for the second time in less than a week, following Islamabad’s announcement that the talks had “failed.”
A joint statement released by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that “all parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalties on the violating party.”
The statement also noted that the modalities of implementation will be finalized during a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6, 2025, reaffirming all sides’ commitment to upholding the Doha ceasefire.
As the Pakistan–Afghanistan conflict threatened to drag the region into renewed chaos, journalist Abdullah Khan of Dawn News described the ceasefire extension as “a face-saving attempt by both Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, facilitated by their mediators Türkiye and Qatar.” He added that both delegations would return home to consult with their governments ahead of the next round of talks, noting that “prolonged conflict would adversely impact people, trade, and regional stability.”
Ceasefire Under Joint Oversight
The establishment of a joint mechanism marks the most tangible progress since border tensions flared earlier this year. The framework includes intelligence sharing, real-time reporting, and coordinated responses to ceasefire breaches.
Abdullah, speaking with Hindukush Tribune Network, noted that “as confronting the TTP remains a challenge for the Afghan Taliban, intelligence sharing with Pakistani security forces could become a practical necessity.”
According to Pakistan TV Digital, the Afghan Taliban committed to taking “clear, verifiable, and effective action” against terrorist groups based in Afghanistan, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Pakistan’s delegation maintained that “clear, verifiable, and irreversible action” was essential for restoring regional trust and ensuring border security. Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, addressing troops in Peshawar, reiterated that while Pakistan seeks peace with all its neighbors, it “will not allow cross-border terrorism to be perpetrated from Afghan soil against Pakistan.”
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed Taliban claims that TTP fighters were “Pakistani refugees returning home,” calling the argument “absurd” and questioning how such “refugees” could return armed through mountain routes “like thieves.”
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, in a post on X, said Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over cross-border terrorism by Indian-abetted Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP) and Indian proxy Fitna al-Hindustan (BLA), describing these sanctuaries as the “main cause of mistrust” between the two neighbors.
Counterterror Operations Along the Border
As diplomatic channels progressed, Pakistan’s military reported a major border engagement in Bajaur District on the night of October 29–30, when a group of militants attempting infiltration was intercepted.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), four militants, including Kharji Commander Amjad alias Mazahim, a high-value target and deputy to TTP chief Noor Wali, were killed. The government had placed a PKR 5 million bounty on him for orchestrating attacks inside Pakistan while operating from Afghan soil.
Officials added that continued infiltration attempts allegedly backed by Taliban leaders Hibatullah Akhundzada and Sirajuddin Haqqani have sustained militant recruitment and training against Pakistan. Abdullah observed that one reason for the Taliban’s continued support to the TTP is fear of losing ideologically aligned foot soldiers, “a risk the Taliban leadership cannot afford.”
A Step Toward Verification and Accountability
The Istanbul agreement represents a shift toward verifiable accountability through a structured monitoring and verification process. Analysts say the development could pave the way for sustained peace and mutual trust, contingent on Kabul’s willingness to act against militant networks.
Khan mentioned that the TTP itself is a challenge for the Afghan Taliban, adding that between 15,000 and 20,000 militants are currently based in Afghanistan. He noted that the Taliban government’s growing unpopularity among Afghans, due to misgovernance, is driving it to form anti-Pakistan narratives to divert attention from domestic failures.
Türkiye and Qatar, both long-standing partners of Pakistan, expressed appreciation for the “active contribution of both parties” and reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating lasting peace and stability in the region.
“Qatar and Türkiye are very respected by us and are our well-wishers,” said Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’. “Türkiye supported us openly in the Pakistan-India conflict, so we respect them and their opinion.”
Diplomatic sources said the November 6 session in Istanbul will finalise the chain of communication, data-sharing procedures, and authority protocols for addressing ceasefire violations. The meeting will also determine how incident reports are logged and verified under the joint mechanism.
Senior journalist Shahab Yousafzai said the Istanbul process had “bought valuable time” for both sides but warned that its durability would depend on Kabul’s actions. “The real test is whether the Taliban act against TTP facilitators. Trade and border stability will follow only once Afghan soil is visibly denied to militant actors,” he noted.
An Afghan security analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Taliban leadership faced an internal dilemma over cracking down on the TTP. “A decisive campaign could alienate parts of its own movement. What’s more likely are selective arrests and rhetorical assurances rather than a full confrontation,” the expert told the Hindukush Tribune Network.
Salman Javed, Director General of the South Asia Times (SAT), said the upcoming Istanbul meeting would determine whether the ceasefire framework can withstand the widening trust gap. “The core challenge isn’t procedure, it’s political will,” he said. “Elements within the Taliban, not limited to the Haqqani network, continue to display ideological sympathy and operational tolerance for the TTP and other militant entities hostile to Pakistan. That duality has repeatedly undercut Pakistan’s confidence in Kabul’s assurances.”
He noted that a recent pattern of Taliban statements and digital messaging, even during the talks, had deepened the mistrust. “Over the past weeks, senior Taliban figures and affiliated media outlets have adopted a sharper, often accusatory tone toward Pakistan, a streak of defiance that Islamabad interprets as quiet betrayal of earlier commitments.”
Looking ahead to the November 6 session, Javed said much would depend on how firmly mediators could anchor the new mechanism in transparency and verification. “If Türkiye and Qatar succeed in embedding real-time reporting, shared intelligence channels, and external oversight, the system could restore a measure of discipline,” he added. “Otherwise, this mechanism risks becoming another diplomatic gesture overshadowed by the Taliban’s own information offensive.”
He added that Pakistan’s position remains clear and increasingly assertive, that peace is conditional on verifiable action against cross-border militants, not verbal assurances. “Islamabad has signalled that dialogue will continue, but only on the basis of compliance,” Javed said. If the Taliban persist with hostility, both on the ground through cross-border militancy and online through coordinated propaganda, they will find Pakistan engaging them from a position of enforcement, not expectation.”
![Security personnel pose for a photograph near the closed gates of the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on September 6, 2023. [Shafiullah Kakar/AFP]](https://htnworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/43895-33uf4aj-highres-585_329.webp)
![A montage of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan Taliban regime. [IC: AFP/Getty]](https://htnworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ftcms_28729957-b5a0-4f34-83e3-96ba76d9e4cd-1024x576.webp)