Afghanistan and Pakistan have returned to Istanbul for additional peace talks.

Islamabad – Kabul – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – Afghanistan and Pakistan will restart peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday, both countries said, after the previous round concluded without a long-term truce.
Militaries from South Asian countries battled last month, killing dozens in the deadliest such violence since the Taliban retook power in Kabul in 2021.
Both sides signed a cease-fire in Doha on October 19, but a second round of talks in Istanbul last week failed without a long-term agreement owing to a disagreement over militant organizations opposed to Pakistan operating in Afghanistan.

“We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region,” Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday.
He said Islamabad is pursuing a “one-point agenda” of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban’s knowledge.
Two government sources said the head of Pakistan’s military intelligence wing, Asim Malik, is leading the Pakistani delegation.
The Afghan delegation will be led by intelligence Chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told state broadcaster RTA.

Talks Aimed at Preventing Repeat of Violence
Pakistan and the Taliban had for decades enjoyed warm ties, but relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harboring the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group that has clashed repeatedly with the Pakistani military. Kabul denies this, saying it has no control over the group.
The October hostilities erupted following Pakistani bombings earlier in the month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, and other targets, including the head of the Pakistani Taliban.
The Afghan Taliban regime replied with strikes on Pakistani military checkpoints along the 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) border, which remains closed to trade.
Clashes have continued during the cease-fire, with many dead reported on both sides.