High-level Turkish delegation to visit Islamabad this week in bid to brokerceasefire
ANKARA/ISLAMABAD — Turkey has unveiled a fresh diplomatic initiative aimedat breaking the stalemate in peace negotiations between Pakistan and theAfghan Taliban.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey’s foreign minister,defense minister, and intelligence chief will soon travel to Pakistan tohelp facilitate dialogue between the two sides.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Islamabad and Ankara are in the finalstages of coordinating the visit, with official dates expected to beannounced within the next two days. According to Turkey’s state newsagency, the high-level Turkish delegation is expected to arrive in Pakistanlater this week for consultations with senior government officials.
President Erdogan said the upcoming visit’s main objective is to worktoward a Pakistan–Afghanistan ceasefire agreement and promote lasting peaceand stability across the region.
British media reported that Erdogan made the announcement after returningfrom Baku, following discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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This move comes shortly after Iran’s offer to mediate between Pakistan andthe Afghan Taliban. Previous rounds of peace talks — held in Qatar andTurkey — ended without concrete progress due to the Taliban’s refusal toprovide written commitments.
Pakistan’s defense minister recently acknowledged that several mediatorshad withdrawn from the process, citing the Taliban’s rigid stance. However,Ankara’s renewed engagement signals a fresh attempt to restore dialogue andrebuild trust between Islamabad and Kabul.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s newly formed Task Force on Water Scarcity has alsopledged coordinated action to address the country’s growing waterchallenges, emphasizing inter-provincial cooperation and efficient resourcemanagement.