Taliban Intelligence Chief and Pakistan’s ISI Director to Meet in Istanbul over TTP Dispute

DID Press: As tensions between the Taliban authorities and Pakistan reach their highest point in recent years, a third round of talks focused on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issue will be held on Thursday, in Istanbul. Abdul-Haq Wasiq, head of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, will lead Afghanistan delegation, while Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, director-general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), will head the Pakistani side.

The negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, follow two previous rounds that failed to produce substantial progress. The first round, held on 27 October in Doha with both countries’ defense ministers in attendance, resulted only in a temporary ceasefire agreement. The second round, held from 25 to 30 October in Istanbul, ended without tangible outcomes.

The core dispute centers on handling TTP. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring and shielding TTP members on Afghanistan soil. The Taliban reject the accusation, insisting that responsibility for the group’s actions lies with the Pakistani state.

Political analysts say the direct participation of Wasiq and Malik signals that both sides are seriously seeking a solution to one of the region’s most complex security crises. However, warnings persist that Pakistan may resort to direct military action if talks fail.

Local reports indicate that the closure of border trade crossings has deepened humanitarian hardship in frontier regions.

Observers note that the Istanbul talks can determine the future of Taliban-Pakistan relations — now strained by mutual distrust, security pressures, and inevitable interdependence.