Trump says Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions can end ‘very quickly’ as border talks resume in Istanbul

US President Donald Trump has said that Pakistan and Afghanistan had resumed talks to address cross-border tensions, adding that he expected the issue to be resolved “very quickly.”Speaking aboard Air Force One ahead of his Asia tour, Trump said, “I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up, but I will solve it very quickly. Pakistan’s Field Marshal and Prime Minister are great people.” The comment came as Islamabad and Kabul held a second round of talks in Istanbul to establish a joint monitoring mechanism aimed at curbing cross-border militant activity.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan discussions are being facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye.

Trump, who has sought to project his administration as one focused on diplomacy and trade rather than conflict, also said, “We are proud of the Gaza peace plan. We are also signing a trade deal with Cambodia and a critical minerals deal with Thailand. It is one of the eight wars my administration ended in eight months. Nothing like this has been done in history. Millions of people are alive today because of the peace deals. I prioritise trade over wars.”The Pakistan meeting with Afghanistan follows the first round of discussions held in Doha earlier this month, which brought a temporary halt to deadly border clashes that had killed soldiers, militants and civilians on both sides. Peace was restored briefly on October 19 after the countries agreed to continue diplomatic engagement.

According to Radio Pakistanthe Istanbul discussions focused on developing a “joint monitoring and oversight mechanism” to curb cross-border terrorist movement and address trade-related hurdles.

Geo News reported that Pakistan shared a detailed counterterrorism roadmap with the Afghan Taliban delegation led by Mawlawi Rahmatullah Najeeb, Afghanistan’s deputy interior minister.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to reporters in Sialkot, has said that Pakistan had “kept all options open,” including the possibility of an “all-out war,” if talks failed to address its security concerns. He noted that calm had prevailed along the border over the past few days and said 80% of points agreed upon in Doha were already being implemented.

“We are hopeful for a sustainable peace formula,” Asif said, but lamented that “those we hosted for four decades have supported terrorism on our soil.”

Tensions between the neighbours have worsened since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, with Pakistan accusing the regime of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. The two countries have frequently clashed along the 2,611-km Durand Line, which Afghanistan refuses to officially recognise.

Diplomatic observers say that failure to stabilise ties could weigh on regional connectivity and trade, including projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Central Asia–South Asia transit routes.