Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire during peace talks hosted in Qatar’s Doha, the Qatari foreign ministry announced early Sunday. The negotiations, also mediated by Turkey, aim to end a week of intense border clashes that killed dozens and wounded hundreds.
According to Qatar’s statement, both sides agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days “to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner”.
The discussions come after border fighting killed dozens, marking the worst confrontation between the two neighbours 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 said the talks focused on "immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border".
The violence began after Islamabad demanded that Kabul rein in militants who had increasingly carried out attacks in Pakistan from havens across the border.
The Taliban denied sheltering militants and accused Pakistan of spreading misinformation and supporting Islamic State-linked groups to destabilise Afghanistan. Islamabad rejected the accusations, saying that militants had waged a long-running campaign to overthrow the Pakistani government and impose a strict form of Islamic rule.
On Friday, a suicide attack near the border killed seven Pakistani soldiers and wounded 13. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, said the Afghan regime must control proxy groups using Afghan soil to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
Despite the ceasefire, Afghanistan claimed that Pakistan conducted airstrikes targeting civilians hours after extending the truce on Friday. Kabul said its fighters were ordered not to retaliate to maintain the negotiating process. Afghanistan also withdrew from a planned tri-nation T20 series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka after three Afghan domestic cricketers were killed in Paktika province in the strikes.
Afghanistan was set to take part in the tri-series with Sri Lanka in Lahore and Rawalpindi from November 5 to 29.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes targeted “verified” militant camps and killed over 100 militants, rejecting civilian casualty claims.
The Doha-mediated ceasefire marks a critical step toward easing tensions and establishing long-term stability along the 2,600-km Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
