Islamabad: Pakistan announced on Thursday its agreement to resume talks with the Afghan government, following a Turkish mediation initiative aimed at maintaining the ceasefire between the two countries after recent border clashes. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said in a press statement that the Pakistani delegation, which was in Istanbul to work on the details of the ceasefire agreement, decided to extend its stay to continue discussions with the Afghan side. He noted that Pakistan agreed to resume dialogue at the initiative of Turkey, which seeks to stabilize calm along the shared border.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Asif added that efforts are underway to involve a delegation from Kabul in the talks, in order to reach a practical mechanism to move forward in the peace process between the two neighbors. Pakistani security sources said the decision aims to ‘give peace another chance,’ emphasizing that the main focus of the discussions will be Pakistan’s key demand that Afghanistan take clear, verifiable, and effective measures against terrorist groups.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s state radio and television authority announced that the talks will resume in Istanbul under Turkish and Qatari mediation, as part of ongoing efforts to bridge differences and rebuild trust between the two sides. Earlier this week, delegations from Islamabad and Kabul met in Istanbul to discuss mechanisms for maintaining the ceasefire and addressing border security tensions.

These developments follow Pakistani airstrikes carried out on Kabul and the border province of Paktia on the 9th of this month, in response to cross-border attacks that killed and injured several Pakistani citizens. On the 15th of the same month, the two countries agreed on a 48-hour truce, which was later extended during talks in Doha under Turkish-Qatari mediation, resulting in the announcement of a full ceasefire four days later. The two sides are expected to meet again soon to discuss technical details.