Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an immediate ceasefire agreement following a new round of peace negotiations in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, as announced by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
During these talks, both sides committed to ceasing hostilities along their shared border and establishing mechanisms to promote lasting peace and stability between the neighboring countries. This agreement represents a significant step toward de-escalation after recent cross-border clashes intensified earlier this year.
The negotiations in Doha come in the wake of months of escalating tensions, characterized by repeated skirmishes and mutual accusations of harboring militant groups. Incidents of violence led to dozens of casualties in cross-border attacks earlier this month, worsening bilateral relations between the South Asian neighbors since the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of failing to control militants believed to be launching attacks from Afghan territory.
A suicide bombing near the border on Friday resulted in the deaths of seven Pakistani soldiers and injuries to 13 others, according to Pakistani officials.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed the ceasefire agreement, expressing optimism for establishing a “concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism” in upcoming meetings to be hosted by Türkiye. Dar emphasized the importance of efforts to prevent further loss of life.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid indicated that both countries agreed not to engage in hostile actions against each other and pledged not to support groups operating against the government of Pakistan.
Qatar’s foreign ministry noted that representatives from both Islamabad and Kabul also agreed to conduct follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire and to verify its implementation “reliably and sustainably.” The ministry expressed hope that this step would help reduce border tensions and lay a solid foundation for enduring peace in the region.
Details regarding the specific terms of the ceasefire and the timeline for implementing monitoring mechanisms were not immediately disclosed by either government.
In a related development, Afghanistan withdrew from a Twenty20 international tri-series scheduled in Pakistan next month following the reported deaths of three local cricketers, which the Afghanistan Cricket Board attributed to military strikes in Paktika province, as reported by Reuters.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated in a post on X that Pakistan had targeted “verified” camps of Islamist militants in border areas and denied any claims that these strikes had affected civilians.
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