Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Immediate Ceasefire

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following talks in Doha, Qatar, after Pakistani air strikes killed at least 10 Afghans and shattered an earlier truce.

The two South Asian neighbours had been locked in fierce border clashes for more than a week — their worst confrontation since the Taliban regained power in 2021. A 48-hour truce briefly halted the violence before renewed air raids reignited hostilities.

Qatar’s foreign ministry announced early Sunday that both sides had agreed to a ceasefire and to establish mechanisms for “lasting peace and stability.” Follow-up meetings will take place in the coming days to reinforce the agreement.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, confirmed the deal and said delegations from both countries would meet again in Istanbul on 25 October. “Terrorism on Pakistani soil conducted from Afghanistan will immediately stop. Both neighbouring countries will respect each other’s sovereignty,” Asif posted on social media.

Afghanistan’s government spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, also confirmed the agreement, stating that neither side would engage in or support hostile acts against the other. The two defence ministers were pictured shaking hands after signing the accord.

The recent clashes stem from growing security tensions along the 2,600-kilometre border. Pakistan has accused Kabul of harbouring militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out numerous cross-border attacks — a claim the Taliban denies.

The violence escalated on 11 October after explosions in Kabul during a visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India. In response to Taliban offensives along the border, Pakistan launched air strikes late Friday in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, killing 10 civilians — including two children and three cricket players — according to local officials.

Taliban forces were later ordered to hold fire to “maintain the dignity” of their negotiating team. Saadullah Torjan, a minister in Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak region, said the situation was “returning to normal,” but added, “there is still a state of war, and people are afraid.”oye