Afghanistan and Pakistan agree on ceasefire, decision taken during talks held in Qatar

New Delhi. Qatar’s Ministry of External Affairs announced early Sunday that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks held in Doha, Qatar. The talks, being brokered by Turkey, aim to end the week-long fierce border conflict that has left dozens dead and hundreds injured.

According to the news agency, Qatar said that both sides have agreed to hold more meetings in the coming days to ensure a lasting and proper implementation of the ceasefire. These talks come after recent border fighting that left several people dead and hundreds injured. This is the most serious confrontation between the two neighboring countries since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Afghan officials stated that the Kabul delegation was led by Defense Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob, while Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif participated in the talks with Taliban representatives.

Pakistan’s Allegation
Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that the main goal of the talks was to stop cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan into Pakistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border. The violence erupted when Islamabad demanded that Kabul stop terrorists who were carrying out attacks across the border into Pakistan.

Taliban Counterattack
The Taliban denies harboring terrorists and accuses Pakistan of spreading misinformation and supporting Islamic State-affiliated groups to destabilize Afghanistan. However, Pakistan rejects these allegations and says that the terrorists have long plotted to overthrow the government and impose strict Islamic rule in the country.

What did Asim Munir say?
It should be noted that seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 13 injured in a suicide attack near the border on Friday. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir said that the Afghan government should control groups using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Hypocrisy
Afghanistan reported that Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting civilians just hours after the ceasefire deadline was extended on Friday. Kabul said its troops were ordered not to retaliate in order to continue negotiations. Three Afghan players were killed in the attacks in Paktika province. Following this, Afghanistan withdrew from a T20 cricket series in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Claim
However, Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said that the attacks targeted terrorist camps and killed more than 100 terrorists. He rejected claims of civilian casualties.