By Zhu Yongbiao and Hu Ning
朱永彪、胡 宁
An Afghan government spokesperson announced on November 8, 2025, that the second round of talks between Afghan and Pakistani delegations, held in Istanbul, Turkey, had ended without agreement. Prior to the talks, multiple border clashes had occurred between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Analysts noted that since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Pakistani government initially welcomed their comeback. However, bilateral relations have not developed smoothly; instead, they have been hampered by deep structural contradictions, which is a key reason why the latest round of talks produced no tangible outcome.
阿富汗政府发言人11月8日表示，阿富汗与巴基斯坦代表团在土耳其伊斯坦布尔市举行的第二轮会谈未能取得成果。此前，阿富汗和巴基斯坦在边境地区多次发生交火。分析人士表示，2021年阿富汗塔利班再次上台后，巴基斯坦政府一度对其重新掌权表示欢迎，然而两国关系发展并不顺畅，反而因结构性矛盾面临重重波折，这也是双方会谈未取得成果的重要原因。
The latest Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes are the result of long-standing tensions between the two sides. According to media reports, on October 9, Pakistan's military launched airstrikes on targets in Kabul and Paktika Province, Afghanistan, claiming to hit hideouts belonging to members of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This action triggered retaliatory fire from Afghan forces along the border, which quickly escalated into large-scale exchanges of fire across the entire frontier. Under the mediation of Qatar and Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement on October 19, temporarily easing the conflict. Subsequently, the two sides held two rounds of talks in Istanbul to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire and concrete mechanisms for strengthening counter terrorism and security cooperation. However, the discussions failed to produce any substantive results and have since been indefinitely suspended.
本轮阿巴边境冲突是双方矛盾长期积累的结果。据媒体报道，10月9日，巴军方对阿首都喀布尔及帕克提卡省发动空袭，打击据称属于恐怖组织“巴基斯坦塔利班”（以下简称“巴塔”）成员的藏身点。此举引发阿军队在边境地区向巴报复性开火，冲突随即升级为双方边境的全线交火。10月19日，阿富汗和巴基斯坦在卡塔尔与土耳其调解下签署停火协议，冲突暂时得以平息。之后，双方在伊斯坦布尔举行两轮会谈，商讨落实停火协议及加强反恐与安全合作的具体机制。然而，双方不仅没有达成实质性协议，会谈还进入无限期搁置阶段。
Analysts note that Afghanistan and Pakistan have long held divergent positions on border demarcation, while the issue of the TTP has further fueled tensions between the two countries. The TTP, founded in 2007, has long exploited the mountainous terrain along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to move covertly between the two countries. It has carried out numerous terrorist attacks inside Pakistan and remains a primary target of the Pakistani military. Many of the previous border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan were linked to TTP attacks on Pakistani territory. After the second round of talks, Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, stated that the Afghan government bears the responsibility to curb terrorism originating within its borders. Pakistan's Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, also emphasized that although the Afghan delegation verbally pledged to honor the agreement, Islamabad believes such a commitment is unlikely to be fulfilled.
分析人士表示，阿巴本就在边界划分问题上各执一词，恐怖组织“巴塔”问题更令双方关系“火上浇油”。“巴塔”于2007年成立，常年利用边境山地易隐藏的优势穿梭于阿巴两国之间，在巴境内制造了大量恐怖袭击，一直是巴军方重点打击对象。之前阿巴的多次边境冲突，均与“巴塔”对巴发动恐怖袭击有关。阿巴第二轮会谈结束后，巴基斯坦新闻与广播部长阿陶拉·塔拉尔表示，阿富汗政府有责任遏制其境内滋生的恐怖主义。巴国防部长赫瓦贾·阿西夫也强调，阿富汗代表团称将遵守口头协议，但巴方认为这一承诺没有实现的可能。
In addition to counter terrorism disputes, the recent rapprochement between Afghanistan and India has further heightened Pakistan's unease. Pakistan's latest air strikes on targets inside Afghanistan coincided with the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to India. Following the visit, New Delhi announced that its Technical Mission in Kabul would be formally upgraded to an embassy and stated its intention to strengthen bilateral ties with Afghanistan in all areas of mutual interest. The warming of India-Afghanistan relations may have prompted Pakistan to take countermeasures.
除反恐问题外，近期阿富汗与印度关系走近也加剧了巴基斯坦的不安。本轮巴基斯坦对阿富汗境内目标发动空袭，正值阿外长穆塔基访印之际。此访过后，印方宣布将驻阿首都喀布尔的“技术使团”正式升级为大使馆，并称将在“所有共同利益领域”同阿富汗加强双边关系，印阿关系升温可能刺激巴基斯坦采取应对举措。
At present, for both Afghanistan and Pakistan, taking a hardline stance against the other may help rally domestic support, but further escalation of the conflict would be detrimental to stability and economic development of the two countries. Both sides thus appear willing to keep the confrontation within limited bounds. Analysts note that terrorism is the common enemy of all humanity, and it is essential for nations to strengthen cooperation in combating all forms of terrorism in order to safeguard regional peace and security. The international community should adopt an objective and impartial stance, encouraging both Afghanistan and Pakistan to continue dialogue and explore long-term solutions to their disputes.
当前，对于阿巴双方而言，强硬回应对方挑战或许有助于争取国内民众支持，但冲突扩大并不利于两国局势稳定与经济发展，双方均有意愿将冲突控制在有限范围内。分析人士指出，恐怖主义是人类公敌，各国有必要加强合作打击一切形式的恐怖主义，共同维护地区和平与安全。国际社会应秉持客观公正立场，鼓励阿巴双方继续对话，探讨问题的长期解决之道。
(The authors are from the Center for Afghanistan Studies of Lanzhou University.)
（作者单位：兰州大学阿富汗研究中心）