Afghanistan and Pakistan will restart peace talks in Istanbul, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday, a day after Islamabad declared the discussions had collapsed.
Two of the sources said both countries agreed to resume negotiations at the request of host nation Turkey, with their respective delegations already in Istanbul.
The Afghan Taliban, Pakistan’s military, and the foreign ministry have not yet commented on the renewed talks.
The move follows weeks of heightened tensions along the Afghan-Pakistan border, where deadly clashes earlier this month left dozens dead in the worst violence since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
A ceasefire was brokered in Doha on 19 October, but efforts to secure a lasting agreement faltered during a second round of talks in Istanbul mediated by Turkey and Qatar earlier this week, sources told Reuters.
The upcoming discussions are expected to focus on border management, counterterrorism cooperation, and preventing further cross-border hostilities, according to diplomatic officials briefed on the matter.
