Pakistan Afghanistan Peace Talks Extend Amid Border Clashes Turkey Hosted

Pakistan and Afghanistan held a third day of talks in Istanbul, hosted by Türkiye and facilitated by Qatar, aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire and reaching a broader truce after deadly border clashes that began following explosions in Kabul on Oct. 9. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the discussions were ongoing with no outcome announced, while Pakistani officials said Afghan negotiators were repeatedly consulting Kabul and that responses were not encouraging. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants (including the TTP) who launch cross-border attacks; Kabul denies the allegations and has urged dialogue and understanding. Casualty figures vary, but officials report dozens killed on both sides, Pakistan saying it repelled infiltration attempts, killed militants and carried out strikes inside Afghanistan, and also suffering soldier deaths and closing border crossings. Pakistan has warned that failure to reach an agreement could lead to open war as mediators try to establish mechanisms to uphold the truce, and U.S. President Donald Trump said he would seek to resolve the crisis quickly.