DOHA: Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an immediate ceasefire agreement, as announced today by the Qatari Foreign Ministry. The breakthrough came after a round of intensive negotiations held in Doha, aimed at halting the recent surge in cross-border tensions.
Qatar’s foreign ministry announced early Sunday that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Doha, Qatar, brokered by Turkey, aimed at ending a week of fierce border clashes that have left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
The two neighbours are currently at their most tense standoff since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Afghan officials confirmed that a Kabul delegation led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob participated in the Doha talks, while Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif led discussions with Taliban representatives.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that the main goal of the talks was to stop cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan into Pakistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border. The violence erupted when Islamabad demanded that Kabul stop militants who were carrying out attacks from across the border into Pakistan.
The Taliban denies harboring militants and accuses Pakistan of spreading misinformation and supporting Islamic State-affiliated groups to destabilize Afghanistan. Islamabad rejects these accusations, saying the militants have waged a long-standing campaign to overthrow the Pakistani government and impose strict Islamic rule.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan said Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting civilians just hours after a ceasefire deadline was extended on Friday. Kabul said its troops were ordered not to retaliate to allow talks to continue. Three Afghan players were killed in the attacks in Paktika province. Following this, Afghanistan withdrew from a T20 cricket series in Pakistan.
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