ISLAMABAD/DOHA: Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a breakthrough agreement for an immediate ceasefire after more than 13 hours of intensive negotiations in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
The development marks a significant step toward easing weeks of heightened tensions between the two neighbouring states.
According to diplomatic sources, the truce was sealed late Saturday night after both sides agreed to halt cross-border hostilities and respect each other’s territorial sovereignty. The deal follows a sharp escalation earlier this month when Pakistani airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least ten Afghan nationals, raising fears of a wider confrontation.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the ceasefire, saying Islamabad and Kabul had committed to a mutual pledge to respect sovereignty and maintain peace along the border. “Any terrorist activity on Pakistani soil originating from Afghan territory will cease immediately,” Asif stated on X. He added that both sides will reconvene for follow-up talks in Istanbul on October 25 to solidify the agreement.
Security officials in Islamabad said the airstrikes earlier in October were launched in retaliation to a deadly militant attack on paramilitary forces and targeted fighters linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring TTP militants, an allegation Kabul denies.
Qatar’s foreign ministry released a statement confirming that both delegations had agreed to establish mechanisms to ensure the truce holds and to strengthen long-term peace. The ministry noted that further meetings are scheduled to oversee implementation and maintain de-escalation.
The Pakistani delegation was led by intelligence chief General Asim Malik, while the Afghan side was represented by Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob.
Tensions between the two countries escalated sharply after October 11, when a violent border flare-up occurred just days after twin bombings struck Kabul during a visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India. In the aftermath, Taliban forces reportedly launched offensives along the southern border, heightening concerns of a prolonged conflict.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the ceasefire, saying fighters had been ordered to “hold fire in respect of the negotiation process and national dignity.”
Reports from Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan on Saturday night suggested the security situation was beginning to stabilize. “For now, the situation is returning to normal,” said local minister Saadullah Torjan.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry reiterated that the primary objective of the Doha negotiations was to put an end to cross-border terrorism and restore stability along the volatile frontier. The Istanbul meeting later this month is expected to outline further steps toward a sustained peace framework between the two neighbours.
