Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Sunday that the next round of talks between Pakistani and Taliban officials will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 25, following the recent signing of an “immediate ceasefire” agreement in Doha.
In a post on X, Asif welcomed the outcome of the initial round of negotiations in Qatar and said the upcoming discussions would focus on “specific details” of the agreement.
The defense minister said the ceasefire would immediately halt the “terrorism chain from Afghanistan” and that both sides had agreed to respect each other’s territorial sovereignty.
The Doha talks, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, concluded on Friday with the signing of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending days of escalating cross-border violence. Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid and Pakistani Defense Minister Asif led their respective delegations.
Under the agreement, both sides pledged to avoid military confrontations, establish joint technical committees to monitor the truce, and hold follow-up meetings to assess implementation and prevent future violations.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the deal as “an important step toward stabilizing the region, building trust between the Taliban and Pakistan, and laying the foundation for lasting peace.”
The ceasefire follows a week of intense border clashes, during which Pakistani airstrikes reportedly hit civilian areas in Kabul and southeastern provinces including Paktika, Kandahar and Khost. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported 37 civilian deaths and 425 injuries due to the hostilities.
Pakistani media outlets reported that the negotiations were hosted by Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Qatar’s intelligence chief, and that Pakistan’s primary agenda was to address the presence of militant groups operating from Afghan territory.
