Page 2 - Afghanistan

Afghan minister's IITF 2025 visit marks first such engagement since 2021

Afghanistan's Industry and Commerce Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi visited the India International Trade Fair 2025, signalling Kabul's intent to deepen trade ties with India amid regional tensions

Pakistan urges Afghan Taliban to act on terror, vows dialogue efforts

Pakistan said on Sunday that it was committed to dialogue to resolve differences with the Afghan Taliban but demanded that Kabul must address concerns regarding the use of its territory by terrorists. Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi issued a statement on different media queries regarding the third round of talks with the Afghan Taliban regime in Istanbul on November 6, which concluded a day later. Turkiye and Qatar mediated the parleys. The peace talks ended without any agreement to tackle the thorny issues of cross-border terrorism, the top officials had said on Saturday. Pakistan remains committed to the resolution of bilateral differences through dialogue. However, Pakistan's core concern, i.e. terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, needs to be addressed first and foremost, the FO said in a statement. It also said that Pakistan's Armed Forces and its people were well determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from its soil and take action against its supporter

Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Istanbul fail amid rising tensions

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have ended without agreement, with the sides trading blame for the breakdown in negotiations aimed at easing border tensions and upholding a fragile ceasefire, officials said Saturday. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks following deadly border fighting that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. The violence erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Afghanistan's Taliban government said were drone strikes conducted by Pakistan and vowed to avenge. The clashes subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19, which remains tenuously in place. Afghanistan's government spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, blamed Pakistan for the talks' failure, saying that Pakistan's demands in the negotiations were unreasonable and the talks could not proceed, the meeting ended and the talks are at a standstill for now. Speaking during a press conference from the southern Afghan city of Kandahar Saturday, Mujahid said ...

Elements in Pakistan military 'sabotaging' peace talks: Afghanistan

A day after peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan collapsed, the Taliban government on Saturday said certain elements within Pakistan military and intelligence services are "deliberately sabotaging" the dialogue process that was aimed at easing border tensions. These elements are trying to blame the Taliban government for Pakistan's internal problems, insecurity, and attacks carried out by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said. The Taliban spokesperson asserted that Afghanistan will not allow "anyone to use its territory against another country, nor permit actions that undermine its sovereignty or security". The peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have ended in Istanbul without any tangible outcomes. The negotiations were aimed at finding a permanent solution to their border tensions and to continue with a fragile ceasefire. "Certain elements within Pakistan's military and intelligence services are deliberately sabotaging

Afghanistan-Pak peace talks end in deadlock over cross-border terrorism

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban ended without any agreement to tackle the thorny issues of cross-border terrorism as the deadlock persisted, according to top officials. The third round of talks began on Thursday and continued for two days but it failed to get a written commitment from Kabul to take action against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants accused of launching an attack against Pakistan by using Afghan soil. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told a private TV channel on Friday night that the negotiations were suspended, with "no programme for the fourth round of talks". "There is a complete deadlock. The negotiations have entered an indefinite phase," he said, reported Geo TV. The minister thanked Turkiye and Qatar for their "sincere efforts" to mediate tensions between the two neighbouring countries. "They support our stance. Even the Afghan delegation agreed with us; however, they were not ready to sign a written agreement," he said, adding

Why the Durand Line still divides Pakistan and Afghanistan today

A border drawn in 1893 still fuels conflict in 2025. The Durand Line, a 2,640 km border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, remains one of the world’s most volatile frontiers.

Earthquake of magnitude 4.4 rattles Afghanistan, aftershocks likely

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks

Afghanistan, Pak set for final round of talks after earlier attempts fail

The second round of talks in late October lasted four days but ended without results

At least 10 killed, 260 injured after 6.3 magnitude quake jolts Afghanistan

Preliminary reports suggest that the earthquake struck near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the town of Khulm in the early hours of Monday morning local time

Pakistan, Afghanistan to maintain ceasefire after peace talks in Istanbul

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has announced, after a dialogue between the two sides collapsed earlier in the week. The sides plan to meet again at a higher-level gathering in Istanbul on Nov 6 to finalise how the ceasefire will be implemented, the ministry said in a statement released on behalf of Pakistan, Afghanistan and mediators Turkey and Qatar on Thursday. All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party, the statement read. The new round of negotiations, facilitated by Turkey and other friendly nations, was aimed at easing border tensions between the two sides who earlier this month exchanged fire, leaving dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead. Despite the collapse of the previous round of talks, a ceasefire has largely held and no new border clashes were reporte

India secures six-month US sanctions waiver for Iran's Chabahar Port

Last month, the US revoked the 2018 sanctions waiver for Iran's Chabahar Port, saying the move aligns with President Trump's 'maximum pressure policy' to isolate Tehran

Clashing over the Durand Line: A history of the Pak-Afghan border dispute

Drawn by the British in 1893, the Durand Line remains a source of conflict as Pakistan and Afghanistan inch closer to a direct military confrontation

Pakistan now paying a high price for its long-standing ties with Taliban

Dozens of soldiers on both sides have been killed along the disputed border, and negotiators in Istanbul are now trying, with some strain, to reach a deal to prevent further escalation

Peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban govt in Istanbul fail, says Pakistan

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed in Istanbul after four days of negotiations, Pakistan's information minister said before dawn Wednesday, accusing the Taliban government in Kabul of refusing to act against militants blamed for deadly cross-border attacks. The talks followed an earlier round in Doha that produced a ceasefire on October 19 after deadly border clashes between the two sides left dozens dead, including soldiers, civilians and militants. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring militants linked to a surge in attacks, while Kabul denies its territory is being used against Pakistan. Before dawn on Wednesday, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar took to social media platform X, saying the dialogue failed to bring about any workable solution, despite mediation by Qatar and Turkey. There was no immediate comment from Kabul about Tarar's remarks. The latest development came hours after the state media in both countries said there was an imp

Pakistan, Afghanistan continue talks to resolve cross-border tensions

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan were still trying to find common ground to settle their dispute over cross-border military and other issues despite three days of talks held in Turkiye. Talks began on Saturday and continued through Monday, but without any final agreement. Quoting officials, the Dawn newspaper reported that a final agreement still remained elusive. Sources familiar with the closed-door discussions said that while most of the points had been mutually agreed between the two sides, the mechanism for verifiable action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory continued to be the main sticking point. We kept hoping that we would be able to sign a mutual document with Afghanistan soon, followed by a joint statement, but it still remains out of our reach, the newspaper quoted one source as saying. The atmosphere early on Monday had been markedly positive. Participants described encouraging progress and serious engagement from both delegations. As th

US President Trump says he will resolve Pak-Afghan conflict very quickly

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would get the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan solved very quickly, calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir great people. Addressing an event on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia, he talked about the latest tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I know them both the Pakistan field marshal and the prime minister are great people, and I know we're gonna get that done quickly. That one started up a few days ago, he said. When the fighting broke out between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the US president was quick to express interest in assisting with establishing peace, although he was at the time occupied with overseeing a hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel. I said, I'll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one,' he told reporters at the time. Because I'm good at solving wars, I'm good at making peace, the US President added. Meanwhile,

Pak holds talks with Afghanistan, warns war possible if deliberations fail

Pakistan and Afghanistan held the second round of talks in Istanbul to establish a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb terrorist movements across the border even as Islamabad warned that war was still an option if talks failed to address its chief concern about terrorism. Dozens of soldiers, civilians and terrorists were killed in clashes earlier this month, creating a war like situation but peace was restored temporarily on October 19 after the two sides held talks -- facilitated by Qatar and Turkey -- in Doha. As agreed in Doha, the second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban was held on Saturday in Istanbul, Turkiye. Radio Pakistan quoted official sources saying that the discussions were focused on establishing a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border terrorist movements and addressing trade barriers. The two sides also explored the possibility of reaching a long-term political understanding. Geo News reported that Pakistan

Afghanistan, Pakistan head to Turkey for second round of crisis talks

Afghanistan and Pakistan are heading to Turkey for a second round of crisis talks, officials said Friday, after recent fighting between them killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. The neighbours are embroiled in a bitter security row that has become increasingly violent, with each side saying they were responding to aggression from the other. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to armed groups that cross the border for attacks, a charge the country's Taliban rulers reject. Last weekend, Qatar and Turkey mediated a ceasefire to pause the hostilities. The truce has largely held, although the countries' border remains closed except for Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan. Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry said traders are losing millions of dollars a day because border transit and trade have ground to a halt. Southern Kandahar Province was the worst-hit by the recent fighting, especially Spin Boldak on the border, where Pakistani airstrikes kille

Explained: Tomato prices in Pakistan surge over 400%: What’s driving the spike | Pak-Afghan tension

Border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have disrupted trade, causing prices of essential goods like tomatoes, apples, and grapes to soar.