ISLAMABAD – Saudi Arabia has been quietly hosting negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to ease friction over cross-border militancy, as two sides are at verge of all out war.
As per sources, the latest round concluded late Sunday in Riyadh without any major progress. Islamabad and Kabul maintained long-held positions, and neither delegation appeared open to major concessions. Because the meeting was not officially announced, the sources requested anonymity.
Kingdom may convene another session at later date. This Saudi-led channel is separate from Turkiye-Qatar mediation track, which has stalled. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had previously said he would send a delegation to Pakistan, but the trip has not yet taken place.
The joint Turkiye-Qatar initiative produced fragile truce after clashes in early October. But on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that the ceasefire had broken down because it depended on a cessation of terrorist attacks. The teams attending Riyadh discussions were largely the same as those involved in earlier Istanbul rounds, the sources said, including a representative from Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
Saudi negotiators proposed that Pakistan restore bilateral trade while counterterrorism talks continued, but Islamabad declined the suggestion, according to the sources.
Ties between two neighbours deteriorated, mostly due to Pakistan’s concerns over banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad views as the primary sticking point. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to prevent militants from operating across the border, while the Afghan Taliban reject claims that they allow their territory to be used for attacks on Pakistan.
After border clashes in October, both sides entered dialogue aimed at developing long-term security mechanisms. A second round took place on October 25 in Istanbul, but Information Minister Attaullah Tarar later said the talks had failed to produce a workable outcome.
After the collapse of talks, Afghan Taliban halted trade with Pakistan. Islamabad had already closed the border to trade following the October clashes. Turkiye later announced plans to send top officials to Pakistan to help lower tensions. Pakistan welcomed Ankara’s and Doha’s efforts on November 14, but the Turkish delegation has yet to arrive, reportedly due to procedural complications.
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