A high-ranking Turkish delegation led by the head of the country’s intelligence agency is expected to visit Pakistan next week, as Ankara seeks to mediate escalating tensions between Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, according to Pakistani officials and local media reports.
The diplomatic effort comes in the wake of failed security talks between Pakistan and Taliban representatives held earlier this month in Istanbul. No breakthrough was reached, deepening concerns about cross-border violence and the Taliban’s alleged harboring of militant groups targeting Pakistan.
Turkey’s ambassador to Pakistan, Mehmet Paçacı, confirmed the planned visit in remarks to The News International. He said the delegation will include several senior Turkish ministers, including Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
“Turkey wants to ensure that no one uses Afghan soil to launch terrorism and bloodshed in Pakistan,” the ambassador said. “Both countries should live like brothers.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had first hinted at Ankara’s mediation during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this month in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, particularly after an October 12 attack that Pakistani officials described as “unprovoked.” The Taliban, however, characterized the incident as retaliatory. In response, the Pakistani military claimed it launched defensive operations that killed over 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants. The army also reported the loss of 23 Pakistani soldiers during the clashes.
According to the Pakistani military, its operations included targeted air and ground strikes in the Afghan provinces of Kandahar and Kabul, as well as in Pakistan’s border regions of North and South Waziristan. Several Taliban bases were reportedly hit.
A temporary ceasefire was brokered on October 19 during talks in Doha, which was followed by two more rounds of negotiations in Istanbul. Pakistani officials say they pushed for a formal mechanism to prevent cross-border terrorism but accused the Taliban of being “inflexible,” ultimately stalling progress.
Turkish Ambassador Paçacı, who helped facilitate the Istanbul meetings, said Ankara’s goal is to find a peaceful solution that prevents militant groups from exploiting Afghan territory.
In a separate report, Pakistan’s Geo News, citing unnamed sources, claimed that Taliban representatives sought to “discredit” Islamabad during the talks rather than address its security concerns over the presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have denied harboring the TTP and maintain that Pakistan’s internal security is a matter for its own security forces to resolve.
Tensions between the two sides have flared since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, with Islamabad accusing Taliban of offering safe haven to the TTP, a banned group responsible for numerous attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban, for their part, have resisted pressure to act against groups they view as fellow Islamic militants, further complicating efforts to improve security cooperation in the region.
