Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an “immediate ceasefire” at talks in Doha, after at least 10 Afghans were killed in Pakistani airstrikes that broke an earlier truce.
For more than a week, the South Asian neighbors have engaged in bloody border clashes — their worst conflict since the return of the Taliban government in 2021. A 48-hour truce briefly put a stop to the fighting, which has killed dozens of troops and civilians, until Friday’s airstrikes. After peace talks in Doha, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said early yesterday that “the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries.”
TALKS TO CONTINUE
Photo: EPA
They also agreed to follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the ceasefire, the Qatari foreign ministry added.
Pakistani Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif confirmed that a ceasefire agreement had been reached and said the two sides would meet again in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.
“Terrorism on Pakistani soil conducted from Afghanistan will immediately stop. Both neighboring countries will respect each other’s sovereignty,” Asif posted on social media.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also confirmed the “signing of an agreement.”
“It was decided that both countries will not carry out any acts of hostility against each other,” he wrote on X yesterday. “Neither country will undertake any hostile actions against the other, nor will they support groups carrying out attacks against the Government of Pakistan.”
The two countries’ defense ministers posted a picture on X shaking hands after the signing.
RADICAL VIOLENCE
Security issues lie at the heart of the clashes.
Since the Taliban returned to power, Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic spike in militant attacks, mainly near its 2,600km border with Afghanistan.
Analysts say radical Muslim fighters have been emboldened by the neighboring insurgency’s success following the withdrawal of US forces in 2021.
Islamabad alleges that hostile groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, operate from “sanctuaries” in Afghanistan, a charge the Taliban government routinely denies.
The cross-border violence flared up on Oct. 11, days after explosions rocked Kabul during an unprecedented visit by Taliban-appointed Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, Pakistan’s archrival.
The Taliban then launched a deadly offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response.
Ahead of the Doha talks, a senior Taliban official said that Pakistan had bombed three locations in Paktika province late on Friday, adding that Kabul would retaliate.
A hospital official in Paktika said that 10 civilians, including two children, were killed and 12 others wounded.
Three cricket players were among the dead.
Zabihullah wrote on X that their forces had been ordered to hold fire “to maintain the dignity and integrity of its negotiating team.”
The combined effect of the monsoon, the outer rim of Typhoon Fengshen and a low-pressure system is expected to bring significant rainfall this week to various parts of the nation, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The heaviest rain is expected to occur today and tomorrow, with torrential rain expected in Keelung’s north coast, Yilan and the mountainous regions of Taipei and New Taipei City, the CWA said. Rivers could rise rapidly, and residents should stay away from riverbanks and avoid going to the mountains or engaging in water activities, it said. Scattered showers are expected today in central and
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