The dialogue followed an October 19 ceasefire meant to halt the deadliest border clashes since 2021. Both sides traded accusations even as limited fighting continued along the 2,600-km frontier.

Mediation in Türkiye Stalls

Islamabad’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said the Afghan side “kept deviating from the core issue” and that the talks “failed to bring about any workable solution.” The Istanbul round ran four days and produced no mechanism to curb attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), according to Pakistani accounts.

Ceasefire Holds, Violence Persists

The October 19 truce, brokered by Türkiye and Qatar, has largely held, but weekend clashes near the border killed five Pakistani soldiers and 25 militants, the military said. Earlier in the month, Pakistan reported 23 personnel killed and 29 wounded, while U.N. officials in Kabul cited at least 50 Afghan civilians killed and 447 wounded in one week.

“Open War” Warning

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warned on October 25 that failure in İstanbul could mean “open war,” underscoring pressure for an enforcement regime after days of skirmishes in early October. Pakistan also carried out airstrikes aimed at TTP figures in Kabul and other areas, drawing retaliatory fire along the 1,600-mile (2,600-km) border.

Border Closure And Economic Strain

Al Arabiya reported the main crossings have been shut for more than two weeks, disrupting trade; drivers in Spin Boldak described 50–60 fruit trucks idling as produce spoiled. Islamabad says Kabul lets the TTP use Afghan territory as a “training-cum-logistic base,” a claim the Taliban deny.

Quotes From Both Sides

Tarar vowed Pakistan would “decimate the terrorists, their sanctuaries, their abettors and supporters.” Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said any attack would meet a response “that will serve as a lesson for Pakistan and a message for others.”