Kabul accused Islamabad of violating a 48-hour agreement that had briefly ended nearly a week of cross-border clashes, with dozens killed on both sides.
and agreed to an “immediate” truce in talks mediated by , the emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported this Sunday (19, local date), after at least 10 people died in Pakistani aerial bombings following a previous agreement. Kabul accused Islamabad of violating a 48-hour ceasefire that had briefly ended nearly a week of cross-border clashes, with dozens killed on both sides. Pakistani security sources said the strikes in the Afghan border areas targeted a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban movement, in retaliation for an attack on Pakistani paramilitary troops.
Following negotiations held this Saturday in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, “the two parties agreed on a ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms for consolidating lasting peace and stability between the two countries,” the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The parties also reached an agreement to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the maintenance of the ceasefire and verify its implementation, the Qatari government added.
After participating in the talks in Doha, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, confirmed on the social network X that a ceasefire agreement had been finalized, and added that the parties would meet again in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 25. Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had pointed out that the talks in Doha were aimed at “ending cross-border terrorism against Pakistan from Afghanistan and restoring peace and stability along the border.”
The Islamabad delegation also included intelligence chief General Asim Malik, according to state TV. The Afghan counterpart was headed by Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban government’s Ministry of Defense reported on the social network X.
*With information from AFP
Published by Fernando Dias
