Pakistan and Afghanistan Reach Immediate Ceasefire Agreement in Qatar Talks

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an "immediate ceasefire" following talks held in Doha, Qatar, the Qatari foreign ministry announced early Sunday. The agreement comes after deadly Pakistani airstrikes killed at least 10 civilians in Afghanistan, breaking a previous 48-hour truce.

Kabul had accused Islamabad of violating the short-lived ceasefire, which had paused nearly a week of deadly cross-border clashes that left dozens of civilians and soldiers dead on both sides.

According to security sources in Pakistan, the airstrikes targeted a militant group linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in retaliation for an earlier attack on Pakistani paramilitary forces.

The Doha talks, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, aimed to de-escalate the tensions. Qatar’s foreign ministry stated that both countries agreed to:

• An immediate ceasefire
• Establish mechanisms for lasting peace and stability
• Hold follow-up meetings to ensure the ceasefire holds and is properly monitored

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the agreement and announced that another round of talks will be held in Istanbul on October 25.

He also stressed that "terrorism on Pakistani soil conducted from Afghanistan will immediately stop" and said both countries would respect each other's sovereignty.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the goal of the Doha talks was to end cross-border terrorism and restore peace along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The Pakistani delegation included Defence Minister Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik. Afghanistan's delegation was led by Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob.

Rising Tensions

The recent flare-up in violence began on October 11, shortly after a visit by the Taliban’s foreign minister to India. Following this, the Taliban launched attacks along Afghanistan's southern border with Pakistan. Islamabad responded with airstrikes.

A Taliban official said that late Friday, Pakistan bombed three areas in Afghanistan's Paktika province. A local hospital reported that 10 civilians, including two children and three cricket players, were killed, with 12 others wounded.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on social media that their forces had been ordered to cease fire to respect the peace talks.

Saadullah Torjan, a local official in Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak region, said the situation is "returning to normal" but added: "There is still a state of war and people are afraid."

Source: Khaleej Times