Istanbul dialogue: Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to continue ceasefire

Discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations had begun in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s long-standing concern of terror attacks emanating from Afghanistan had been a bone of contention, resulting in a stalemate. A joint statement released after the conclusion of the latest round of dialogue stated “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided” during a Principal level meeting in Istanbul on November 6. Dduring the duration, the two countries also agreed on a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to ensure the “maintenance of peace” and to impose a penalty on the side that breaches the ceasefire. “All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party,” said the joint statement.