Islamabad, : Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday, following over a week of intense cross-border clashes that left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
According to the Qatari statement, both nations have also agreed to establish mechanisms aimed at ensuring lasting peace and stability, along with holding follow-up talks in the coming days to sustain the truce.
Delegations from both countries, led by their respective defence ministers, met in Doha for talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey to resolve what has been described as the deadliest confrontation between them in years. Pakistan said the discussions focused on “immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the border.”
Each side accused the other of aggression during the recent hostilities. Afghanistan has denied harbouring militants responsible for attacks along the shared frontier.
The latest escalation followed the expiry of a 48-hour ceasefire on Friday evening, after which Pakistan launched airstrikes targeting militant hideouts in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. Pakistani officials claimed the raids killed dozens of fighters from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and resulted in no civilian casualties.
However, Afghan authorities reported that at least 10 civilians, including women, children, and local cricketers, were killed in the attacks, prompting the Afghanistan Cricket Board to boycott an upcoming series in Pakistan.
On Saturday, thousands attended funeral prayers in Paktika, condemning the strikes. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid criticised the “repeated crimes of Pakistani forces” and accused Islamabad of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty in a “deliberate attempt” to prolong the conflict.
The two countries share a 2,611-kilometre border, known as the Durand Line — which Afghanistan has never formally recognised. Pakistan, meanwhile, faces rising militancy in its border regions and has blamed both Afghan-based militants and, at times, India for supporting insurgent groups, without providing evidence.
Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, urged Afghanistan to choose “mutual security over perpetual violence,” calling on the Taliban to “rein in the proxies who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan.”
Regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have urged restraint, warning that continued violence could further destabilise a region already threatened by the resurgence of groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida.
