A high-level delegation from Türkiye will visit Islamabad next week for crucial discussions amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban regime, according to comments made by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu.
Speaking at a reception marking Oman’s National Day, the ambassador confirmed that the delegation—first hinted at during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku—will include the Turkish intelligence chief and several key ministers. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar is also set to accompany the group.
Dr. Neziroglu, who played an important role in facilitating Istanbul’s trilateral talks on Afghanistan, noted that Türkiye remains committed to preventing terrorism from spilling into Pakistan from Afghan territory. He stressed that both Pakistan and Afghanistan should coexist peacefully, affirming Ankara’s determination to help foster stability in the region.
The visit aims to explore diplomatic pathways after talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul concluded earlier this month without any breakthrough, largely due to Kabul’s reluctance to take action against militant groups operating inside Afghanistan.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have surged since October 12, when Taliban forces and the India-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as Fitna al-Khawarij, launched what Pakistan described as an unprovoked attack.
Pakistan’s armed forces responded forcefully, killing more than 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants in self-defence operations. The clashes resulted in the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani soldiers, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In retaliation, security forces carried out precision strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, Kabul, and border regions of North and South Waziristan, eliminating multiple militant positions.
Despite a temporary ceasefire reached during Doha talks on October 19, subsequent negotiations in Istanbul failed to achieve progress. Pakistani officials believe Kabul used the platform to malign Pakistan instead of addressing Islamabad’s core concerns regarding cross-border terrorism.
