 "Afghan Defence Minister Maulvi Sahib Muhammad Yaqub Mujahid (centre left) shakes hands with his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire on Sunday, October 19 in Doha, Qatar. X/@MofaQatar_EN")
Days after intense border clashes, Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to another ceasefire. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news on Sunday. The announcement came after 10 people, including Afghan cricketers, were killed in Pakistani airstrikes.
“During the negotiations, the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure lasting peace and stability between the two countries,” Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. On Saturday, Pakistan’s airstrikes violated the initial 48-hour truce agreed by both nations.
On the same day, officials from both sides met in Doha to ease tensions. The first ceasefire, which Kabul accused Islamabad of breaking, briefly paused nearly a week of fighting which killed dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides.
Meanwhile, security officials in Pakistan said that the latest strikes in the Afghan border areas targeted a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban. They argued that the attack came in response to an assault on Pakistani paramilitary forces.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban go back to 2023
According to Dawn News, the Pakistani delegation, which was in Doha for the ceasefire talks, included the country’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif , and Intelligence Chief General Asim Malik. Meanwhile, the Afghan side was led by Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban said.
Violence between the two neighbouring states erupted on October 11, after Pakistan conducted two explosions in Kabul. These blasts rattled Afghanistan’s capital during a rare visit by Taliban foreign minister Amir Muttaqi to India. Soon after this, Taliban fighters launched attacks along the southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad’s response.
It is pertinent to note that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained since 2023, with Pakistan repeatedly raising concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants carrying out cross-border attacks.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe tensions have escalated further, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the outlawed TTP’s decision to end its ceasefire with Islamabad in November 2022. While the two sides attempted to hold diplomatic dialogue over the matter, tensions persisted.