A foreign country using Pakistan soil to hit Afghanistan with drones?

Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Turkey look to have hit a dead end even as a fragile ceasefire holds after a brief war that saw hundreds killed earlier in September and October. Pakistan made a rare admission during the talks, that it has an agreement with a foreign country based on which drone attacks were carried out, according to TOLO News of Afghanistan. The Pakistani delegation expressed helplessness in preventing drone attacks inside Afghanistan because it was bound by an agreement with a third country, the report said, citing a source. "It was also revealed that, for the first time, Pakistan admitted to having an agreement with a foreign country allowing drone strikes, and that it cannot prevent such strikes because breaking the agreement is not possible," TOLO News reported on the peace talks being held in Istanbul, Turkey. There was no clarity on the foreign country with which Pakistan has an agreement. An agreement remained elusive even as the Pakistani delegation asked the Afghan team to agree that Islamabad had the right to carry out strikes inside Afghanistan during attacks by the TTP. Read Full Story The source noted that the Pakistani delegation appeared disorganised, offering no coherent arguments and seeming more focused on pulling back from the negotiations. At one point, they even requested that the Afghan side acknowledge Pakistan's right to strike Afghan territory in response to TTP attacks, TOLO News reported. This report comes just months after Pakistan inked a landmark Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September, committing to mutual defence against any external threats and deepening both military and economic ties. At the same time, Islamabad has boosted its defence and strategic alignment with the United States under President Donald Trump. This was highlighted by several high-level meetings, including PM Shehbaz Sharif rushing to meet Trump at the Oval Office visit, with army chief Asim Munir in a glittering attendance. Moreover, Trump has publicly demanded the return of Bagram airbase from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. He even threatened that if it did not get the airbase, "bad things would happen". Sharif, meanwhile, has repeatedly lauded "Trump's leadership", praising his "role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire as a historic achievement". He even nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Afghanistan-Pakistan talks in Istanbul ended inconclusively, with both sides blaming each other for failing to reach a long-term truce. News agency Reuters, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the discussions, reported that the negotiations yielded no resolution. The brief Pakistan-Afghanistan war erupted in early September. Escalating TTP attacks on Pakistani forces sparked deadly clashes between both neighbours. This made Islamabad launch precision airstrikes deep into Afghan territory, targeting suspected militant hideouts in Kabul and Kandahar. Drone strikes and JF-17 jet bombings left over 200 dead on both sides. The Taliban reported dozens of civilian casualties, including women and children in an eastern marketplace. Pakistan said its targets were only TTP commanders. In retaliation, Afghan forces shelled Pakistani border posts along the Durand Line. At least 23 soldiers were killed and hundreds wounded. Heavy artillery exchanges and ground clashes broke out in hotspots like Spin Boldak and Kurram. Days before both countries reached a ceasefire, Afghanistan's Taliban government said that Pakistan had carried out two drone strikes on Kabul the previous day. Alarmed by the escalation and risk of regional conflict, Pakistan sought mediation from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Diplomatic pressure led to a fragile 48-hour ceasefire on October 15, which has held tenuously amid accusations of violations. Ends Published By: Sushim Mukul Published On: Oct 28, 2025 13:09 IST Tune In