Pakistan’s Defence Minister Issues New Warning Ahead of Third Round of Taliban Talks in Istanbul
As the third round of negotiations between delegations from Pakistan and the Taliban administration kicks off today, Thursday, November 5, in Istanbul, Turkey, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that failure in the talks could further deteriorate security relations between the two sides.
Speaking to Geo News, Asif cautioned that if Taliban incursions into Pakistani territory continue, Islamabad will respond with retaliatory actions. He stated, “If the incursions persist, we will do the same to them as they are doing to us.”
Abdul Haq Wasiq, head of the Taliban’s intelligence agency, traveled to Turkey on Wednesday and is leading the Taliban delegation in the discussions. Meanwhile, Pakistani media have reported that Pakistan’s delegation is likely headed by Asim Munir, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), although this has yet to be officially confirmed by Pakistani authorities.
Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan have been highly strained in recent months. Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant groups based in Afghanistan’s border regions of launching attacks inside Pakistani territory—an allegation the Taliban administration routinely denies, while also showing little effort to rein in these groups.
The continuation of this tense situation has raised regional concerns, with the potential failure of the upcoming negotiations possibly triggering a new wave of violence in border areas—zones that have already witnessed repeated clashes in the past.
