Qatar Announces Agreement Between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Immediate Ceasefire

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today, Sunday, that Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an agreement on an immediate ceasefire, during talks held in Doha under Qatari and Turkish mediation. This step aims to contain the escalating tensions between the two countries.

The ministry stated in a press release that “the two sides agreed on an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms concerned with consolidating lasting peace and stability between the two countries,” adding that “both parties agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire and to verify its implementation in a reliable manner.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed Doha’s hope that this agreement will contribute to putting an end to tensions on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, affirming the continuation of mediation efforts to achieve lasting peace between the two sides.

Yesterday, Saturday, the spokesperson for the Afghan government, Zabihullah Mujahid, announced that Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob traveled to Doha to participate in negotiations with the Pakistani delegation, headed by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, aiming to defuse the border crisis.

For his part, Asif confirmed that “his country and Afghanistan will respect the ceasefire agreement signed in Doha,” pointing out that the two delegations will hold a new meeting on October 25 in Istanbul to follow up on the implementation of the agreement.

This development comes days after Kabul accused Islamabad of violating the truce following airstrikes in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan, which Afghan authorities said resulted in the death of ten civilians, including two children and three cricket players.