Pakistan and Afghanistan to hold talks in Qatar today after 10 die in border clashes

Afghanistan and Pakistan are set to hold talks in Qatar on Saturday after Islamabad launched air strikes in Afghan provinces, killing at least 10 people, including players from the country’s cricket team.

“Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik will be heading to Doha today for talks with Afghan Taliban,” Pakistan state TV said.

An Afghan Taliban government official also confirmed the talks would take place.

“A high-level delegation from the Islamic Emirate, led by Defense Minister Mohammed Yaqub, left for Doha today,” Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X.

10 dead in Afghanistan

On Friday, Pakistan attacked Afghanistan, breaking a 48-hour-long ceasefire, as tensions between the two neighbouring countries turned deadly.

“Pakistan has broken the ceasefire and bombed three locations in Paktika” province late on Friday, a senior Taliban official told the AFP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Afghanistan will retaliate.”

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As many as 10 civilians, including two children, were killed in the attacks, while 12 were left wounded. The Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement that three players who were in the region for a tournament were killed “in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime”, while seven others were injured.

‘Heavy price’

Security issues are at the heart of the tensions, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring militant groups led by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – the Pakistani Taliban – on its soil, a claim Kabul denies.

The cross-border violence had escalated dramatically from Saturday, days after explosions rocked the Afghan capital Kabul, just as the Taliban’s foreign minister began an unprecedented visit to India, Pakistan’s longtime rival.

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The Taliban then launched an offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response of its own.

When the truce began at 1300 GMT on Wednesday, Islamabad said that it was to last 48 hours, but Kabul said the ceasefire would remain in effect until Pakistan violated it.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused Kabul of acting as “a proxy of India” and “plotting” against Pakistan.

“From now on, demarches will no longer be framed as appeals for peace, and delegations will not be sent to Kabul,” Asif wrote in a post on X.

“Wherever the source of terrorism is, it will have to pay a heavy price.”

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah said its forces had been ordered not to attack unless Pakistani forces fired first.

“If they do, then you have every right to defend your country,” he said in an interview with the Afghan television channel Ariana, relaying the message sent to the troops.